


Heathens

by tanginaly



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/F, F/M, Hiatus, M/M, Slow Burn, and HEROES, will be using Marvel tropes for the superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-08-30 06:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8521954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanginaly/pseuds/tanginaly
Summary: Uncle Ben once said, "With great power comes great responsibility." 
However, these kids don't really care too much about crime-fighting and tight-fitted spandex. Nope, they're a little more preoccupied with surviving college to worry about the thugs robbing your local bank. But you can't really blame them for using everything in their power (literally) to make things just a liiiiiittle more convenient. 
Even if it means using your roommate's telekinetic power to clean the apartment or having your telepathic friend get into your head to beg for notes every once in a while.





	1. to calculus and justified paranoia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that I used a song that was advertised for a DC movie and made it a title for a Superpower AU fic that's heavily references on Marvel tropes. Feel free to laugh at me.

“Hey, do you have the solutions for equation number 4, page 63?”

“Go fish.”

“Pidge, we’re doing Calculus right now.”

“Lance, I’ve been awake for a total of 78 hours now. I _literally_ don’t care.”

“Well, good morning to you too.”

Pidge huffed in greeting while Lance waved at Hunk with a small ‘hey’. Hunk set down the bags of groceries at the counter, went back to close the front door then came back to he give the two and their weird set up (that he seriously, _seriously_ hoped they’ll clean up after they’re done) an inquisitive look.

The two sat across each other on the floor, legs crossed while textbooks and lessons sheets scattered around them. Pidge’s laptop sat not too far from them, displaying a slide to some Calculus lecture. There were highlighters and ballpoint pens _everywhere_. Hunk didn’t know how they still managed to find what they were looking for with that kind of set up but he was pretty sure the two had already built some sort of system.

“Let me guess, Montgomery at 3PM.” He finally said.

Pidge released an animalistic growl and tossed their calculus textbook at the (thankfully closed) window while Lance made a noise that sounded like a cross between a groan and a screech in reply.

“I’m a Computer Engineering student! What the fuck do I need Calculus for?! It’s not like we’re going to need the…” Pidge paused, squinting at the title of the current topic that they had scribbled in their notebook spitefully.

“… _Mean Value Theorem_ when we’re building the equipment and programming them to work!”

They tossed their notebook too. This time, it landed safely on top of their makeshift sofa (which is basically long plywood stacked on top of magazines piles and a cooler).

“How do you think I feel?! I’m taking Aeronautics!” Lance exclaimed in despair.

“I’m going to pilot an aircraft –slash– spacecraft. It’s not like I’m going to have to find the Linear Approximation of whatever in flight!” He added.

Pidge nodded aggressively in agreement.

“I agree. Let’s boycott Montgomery’s class.” They said

“Screw that. If I have one more absence, he’s dropping my ass,” Lance told them as he re-buried his face on his textbook.

“Now, equation number 4, page 63?”

Pidge heaved a long suffering sigh before turning towards their fallen textbook that lay pitifully on the floor. They raised their arm, hand wide open and palm facing the air. They pointed it towards the textbook then flicked it back as if beckoning it to come back to them.

The textbook then shot up and flew straight into their open hand.

They then shifted their gaze towards their notebook, lifted their free arm and did the same. The notebook came flying towards them just like the textbook did before.

Lance glared at Pidge as he watched the whole exchange.

“Show off.” He grumbled under his breath. Pidge only stuck their tongue out in return.

“Pidge, if you’re going to waste your telekinetic energy, can you like, waste it by helping me? Like I don’t know, help me put the groceries into the cabinets or fridge and stuff? I don’t know, just a thought? I would really appreciate you making my life marginally easier.” Hunk stated from the kitchen as he arranged the vegetables in the fridge.

The telekinetic in question hummed in consideration before shrugging their shoulders with a dismissive ‘eh’.

“Really, Dude? Really?”

“Oh, shut up. You know I can’t do shit to things made up of cells.”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Lance interrupted, “Don’t papers come from trees? And aren’t trees plants? And plants have cells? So don’t papers and books have cells?”

“Fuck you, Lance. I’m no Biology major,” They spat as they grabbed their phone from the table. From what Lance could tell, they were making a quick google search.

“Ah, here it is. _In the process of making paper, a portion of the tree is turned into pulp by grinding the tree up, like in a blender. Tree pulp is kind of similar to the pulp you would get in orange juice_ ,” Pidge began dictating out loud.

“ _After the tree is ground into pulp most of the trees cells have pretty much burst. The pulp is made of a bunch of cell material, including most importantly, the cell wall. The pulp is dried, bleached, and further processed to remove most of the cellular material other than the cellulose. In the end you have paper. So paper is mostly made of cellulose. And by the end of the whole process there wouldn't be any whole cells left, they would have been all destroyed in the process of making the paper,_ ” They finally finished.

“So yeah. Technically, they’re not made of cells anymore.”

“Oh. Cool.” Lance said.

“Cool.” Pidge replied.

“Coooool.” Lance repeated. This time, dragging the ‘o’s.

Hunk groaned audibly.

“First of all, y’all need to stop procrastinating. Honestly, you have like five hours ‘til Montgomery’s class and you still have another class in two. Second, Lance, you suck. I just remembered that I have a Biology test in three hours and I still have to review a whole lecture done in Comic Sans.” He said as he slammed the refrigerator door shut.

“Third, Pidge, at least help me with the _Not Made Up Of Cells_ crap then you can go back to being an X-Men character with the tragic backstory.”

Pidge grumbled under their breath before they got on their feet, trudging begrudgingly towards Hunk who had already begun spouting directions.

(“Corned beef, cabinet on the right, 2nd row. No, no, no, _your_ right. No– damn it, Pidge.”)

Lance barely listened to their banter as he stared blankly at the page, fiddling idly with the edge of the textbook as he tried to make sense of the problem he had been stuck on for the last 10 minutes

_Lance.._.

Huh?

_Lance…_

Was someone calling him? Lance looked around, turning towards the kitchen to see if his roommates were trying to catch his attention. The two still seemed preoccupied with levitating the groceries into their respective cupboards.

_Lance._

It was getting louder now. This time, it sounded like it came from right beside him.

_LANCE._

Lance jumped, his ears ringing painfully at the sudden volume. He was pretty sure that the voice was coming straight from his brain and he perfectly knew who it came from.

God damn it, Allura. What do you want?

_Oh good, you finally answered._

Couldn’t you have called my cellphone? You know, like normal people? Cellular Data’s not that expensive.

_You weren’t picking up?_

Allura, my phone is literally right next to me. You never called even once.

_Okay, I miiiight have forgotten to pay my bill for the last three months but that’s beside the point._

Okay, first of all, wow. Second, what do you want?

_Do you have the notes from Iverson’s lecture from last Tuesday? I missed classes because of cramps._

Don’t lie to me, you went to Nyma’s wrestling match at Boxxy’s. You even sent me a snapchat telling me I was a loser for missing out.

_Yeah, but I bought you starbucks so we’re even._

Good point.

_So notes?_

What do you need the notes for? And which lecture?

_Just the one about Freud’s Psychosexual Theory and Erikson’s Stages of Development. I just found out we have a quiz at 5PM??? I wasn’t informed???_

That’s because you didn’t go to class.

_Don’t sass me, Lance McClain._

You know, I can just mysteriously not have internet data and ‘fail’ to e-mail you the lectures.

_I’m just kidding, I love you. Please, I’ll buy you that weird milkshake you like so much from Kentucky’s._

That’s better. I’ll e-mail you the slides in a bit.

_Thank you! I love you! Mwah xoxo_

Allura, this is a verbal conversation. But Allura wasn’t replying anymore. Lance’s head had gone completely silent after Allura left her thanks. He forwarded her the lectures which earned him a prompt and earnest reply ( _Allura Falra: luv u babe xoxo)_.

He turned his head towards the kitchen once more hoping to see if they were done so he could ask for help in his calculus homework only to be greeted  by Pidge and Hunk staring blankly at the cans of soup that scattered all over the floor.

He couldn’t help but cock a brow at them when a stray can rolled over to his foot.

“Okay but in my defense,” Pidge started slowly when they met Lance’s confused gaze, “I didn’t know the last can of corned beef was in the bottom of the plastic.”

“Oh my God.”

 

* * *

 

“Keith?”

“What?”

“The stove’s out.”

“Light a fire then.”

“We’re out of matches.”

“Wait, didn’t we just buy a Gas Lighter last weekend?”

A pause.

“Shiro.”

“Well…”

“ _Shiro._ ”

“Okay, don’t be mad but to be fair, I haven’t completely gotten used to the whole robotic arm thing yet. It’s very new to me especially with its extra qualities like, uhh…”

“Shiro, please don’t tell me you had them enforce Super Strength in your prosthetic arm.”

“I kinda had them enforce Super Strength in my _robotic_ prosthetic arm.”

“Are you _kidding_ me?” Keith groaned as he buried his face into the palm of his hands. He swung his legs to edge of the sofa and got up. He threw Shiro a glare (who pointedly looked away, playing innocent) before he dug into the drawers to look for the Gas Lighter.

He did find it, but the button was embedded deep inside the hilt and the cylinder basically did a pretty good impression of a liquorice strip candy.

Keith continued to stand there, staring at the taller boy until he gives in and looks at him in the eye. Fortunately for him, he didn’t have to wait long.

“Honestly, I want to be mad but I have to admit, having a strength-enhanced prosthetic arm is really cool and also convenient.” Keith finally said when Shiro met his gaze.

“Thank you,” Shiro smiled, crossing his arms proudly.

“Also, it’s a _Super_ strength-enhanced _robotic_ prosthetic arm,” He added as a matter-of-factly.

Keith only rolled his eyes in reply and turned his attention to the stove.

“We can… borrow some matches from the neighbors.”  Shiro suggested thoughtfully.

“Let me guess, you want me to do it.”

“Yes, please.”

“Fiiine.” Keith trudged back to grab his jacket that was draped over the sofa.

“ _Don’t_ break anything.” He warned, watching Shiro set up the ingredients around the kitchen counter. Shiro just waved at him dismissively. After putting his shoes on, Keith left the flat and stepped into the hallway.

He took in his surroundings first, turning his head from left to right as he tried to decide where to start his search.

It was basically a matter of finding a good, not-nosy neighbor who’s actually home.

Keith walked down the hallway to his left, rubbing his hands for warmth from the seeping cold. He tried to strain his ears for any sign of life behind the doors. He hoped for some shuffling or even utensils clacking together, maybe even running water, some television show, a conversation. Any sign to prove that somebody’s home.

He stopped right in front of a door that protruded really cold air from the cracks.

That was... unconventional. People don’t normally put their ACs in the living room. Then again, that doesn’t mean _no one_ does. And who the hell blasts their AC to this temperature in November?

_Weird_ _people, that’s who._ Keith thought before shrugging it off, _but weird people have matches so whatever._

But should it really be this quiet?

It’s cold as hell so there should be someone home but it was too quiet. He couldn’t hear anything from there, not even the whirring noise an AC usually makes.

Keith was beginning to shiver from the cold. Whatever, let’s just get things over with. He positioned his fist to knock when a loud shout interrupted him

_“HOLY SHIT.”_ A loud clattering sound soon followed.

Keith quickly put his hand down and turned to the door across him. He gave the cold door one last look before crossing the hall, heading towards the door where all the noise came from.

_“Look at it, Pidge. It’s bent on the edges and ugly. This can had potential and a **future** but nobody’s gonna want it now.”_

_“Hunk, that’s ableist.”_

_“IT’S A CAN OF SOUP.”_

Keith stood in front of their door for a few minutes, wondering if this was really a good idea. For all he knows they could be angry serial killers with a preference over tin can aesthetics.

Shiro would be laughing at him right now but it was a _completely valid_ thought and he had every right to be suspicious.

The voices were a bit muffled behind the wood but he could still make out what they were saying. He considered his options for a few more minutes before deciding that a noisy group of maybe-serial killers is better than whatever is behind that creepy cold door.

He knocked twice before he could lose his resolve.

Suddenly, there was silence.

He waited for a total of two minutes before realizing that no one was coming. They did hear him right?

He knocked again for good measure.

_“Lance, were you expecting someone?”_

Keith could hear a third voice behind the door but he couldn’t make out what he was saying. He heard ‘Hunk’ reply after a moment.

_“They leave our mail in our locker downstairs, Lance. Also the pizza guy usually rings the buzzer.”_

Keith looked to his left and true enough, there was a button he could have pressed. He felt a little ridiculous but then again, the damage was done.

_“Maybe we were too loud and the landlord came to tell us off?”_ He heard ‘Pidge’ say.

_“I don’t think so, the landlord just bangs on the door–“_

_“Jesus Christ, just open the door!”_ It was ‘Lance’ but this time, Keith could hear him loud and clear.

_“Okay! Okay! Can’t blame me for being wary.”_

He took a step back when the knob rattled. He watched it turn to the side before the door swung open.

He was met with three sets of eyes, all staring at him warily. Keith’s face couldn’t help but show how much he shared the sentiment.

Nobody was talking. He had no idea who should speak up first, him or them? How did first-time interactions go again? Oh my God, he couldn’t remember.

Thankfully, the guy sitting cross-legged on the floor of the living room was the first to break the silence.

“Oh my God, he has a mullet.”

He takes it back. The asshole can suck it. The bigger guy who still had his hand wrapped the doorknob groaned loudly.

“ _Oh my God._ Lance, really?”

“Sorry, sorry.” The guy laughed, “But holy shit, it’s the 21st century and he still has a mullet.”

_Uhm, I’m still here? And this is my mullet? So like, kindly fuck the right off?_ Keith was not going to lie, the more ‘Lance’ talked, the less he liked him.

That much showed on his face and unfortunately, the bigger guy was starting to pick up on it too.

“Sorry about him. He’s not usually an asshole, I swear. I’m Hunk, by the way.” He introduced himself, putting out a hand for Keith to shake. Keith hesitantly put his own hand out to shake it.

“That one over there is Pidge.” He pointed to the shorter (Boy? Girl? Keith wasn’t sure) with his thumb.

“Hey.” Pidge greeted with a small wave.

“And you’ve met Lance.” Hunk gestured to Lance.

“ _Hello._ ” He drawled flirtatiously.

“… Right.” Keith replied before clearing his throat.

“I’m Keith. I stay at Room 302.”

Should he really be sharing that sort of information with these guys? For all he knows, they could _actually_ be serial killers who look like stressed but harmless college students.

“Do you guys happen to have any matches? Or a Gas Lighter we could borrow?” He asked.

“Oh! Yeah, we do actually.” Hunk left the door to go to the kitchen, leaving Keith to stand awkwardly by the doorway. Pidge and Lance still stared at him and honestly, it was making him  _really_ uncomfortable.

Hunk was back in a few seconds with a gas lighter in hand.

“Pidge here keeps jamming the stove so we eventually had to get one after Lance went crazy with the last matchbox we got.” He explained.

The aforementioned two responded with an offended (or embarrassed? Keith couldn’t really tell) ‘Hey!’ at that.

Keith held out his hand expectantly only to be met with a hesitant gaze.

“You don’t mind if I come with you though?” Hunk asked, to his surprise.

This was it, he was going to get murdered by the big man with a gas lighter. He will be forced to use his abilities to defend himself, then he and Shiro will be forced to move out of the state again but this time, they’ll be forced live under new names.

He, for one, liked the name Kevin. Shiro can take the name Sven and pretend to have this weird, exaggerated but recognizable Irish accent.

“I mean, the last time we lent something to a neighbor, we weren’t really able to get it back. And as broke college students…” He trailed off, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Oh. Well, that seems like a pretty valid reason too.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I guess.” Keith said as he withdrew his hand.

He then turned to leave when Lance stopped him.

“Wait, are you living with that big buff dude? You know, cool metal arm, white streak-y hair?” He asked, gesturing to his right arm then the front of his hair as he talked.

Keith stared at Lance, surprised that he knew of Shiro. Slowly, he nodded his head.

“Uhh, yeah. He’s my brother.”

“What did you say his name was?”

He narrowed his eyes, suspicion rolling off him like cologne.

“I didn’t.” He said, his voice cold and biting.

“Why would you want to know?” He asked and Lance shrugged in reply.

“I don’t know, I saw him enter your room just a few days ago. 302, right?”

Keith nodded.

“Thought it’d be nice to put a name to a face, get to know the neighbors and all that jazz.” Lance exaplained.

“Man, you make it seem like I was asking for social security code or something.” He added, his tone accusatory but the smile on his lips stated otherwise.

Keith still had his reservations but seeing as the three were doing him a huge favor, he decided to give in.

“His name is Shiro. He’s a pretty cool guy, I guess.”

Lance nodded, seemingly satisfied. Keith took that as a sign that he was free to go. He missed Pidge's curious glance when stepped to the side, allowing Hunk to step into the hallway.

As soon as Hunk closed the door, a loud exclamation followed.

_“Pidge, why are the guys are Room 302 so hot?! It’s not fair!”_

Keith nearly tripped on his feet, completely caught off-guard. He flushed a deep shade of red while Hunk groaned next to him.

“LANCE.” He bellowed.

“ _FUCK.”_

Hunk sighed before looking at Keith with the most apologetic look he could muster.

“I am so, _so_ sorry about that.”

Keith waved it off, hiding the blush with his sleeves.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” He said. There was a rush of cold air and Keith couldn’t help but shudder. He peered at the door from before, the one he was about to knock on.

“Creepy, huh?” Hunk said as he noticed the object of his gaze, “It’s been like that since we moved here in here.”

“We even had this huge stakeout that went on for _weeks_ just to know who lives there. The weird part is we didn’t see anybody get in or out.”

Keith stared at him curiously then back at the door.

“Weird.” was all he said.

“Heh, you know, Allura actually knocked on their door once. No, banged more like it.” Hunk chuckled at the memory, “She was pretty peeved because it was in the middle of November last year and she was, in verbatim, freezing her ass off in the hallway.”

“Who’s Allura?”

Hunk froze. From what Keith could tell, he was trying to formulate his response.

There it was again. The suspicious behavior, the withholding of information– okay, Keith is pretty sure they have the same reasons as he did to be wary but he still couldn’t help but be suspicious.

“A friend of ours.” Hunk finally said, “We shared a couple of classes together and became very good friends after that.”

An awkward silence fell between them as soon as Hunk’s awkward laughter faded out

“What happened next?” Keith asked, opting to change the subject.

“That’s the scary part, nothing did. Nobody opened the door or anything. We thought for a sec that the owners might have been out but the concerned neighbor from next door said nobody’s left that room in years,” Hunk told him.

“Do you think they have a dead body in there?” Keith asked, “Should we call the police?”

“Trust me, at one point, we actually did. There was no foul odor or anything but with how cold the room is, we wouldn’t be surprised if the body’s been frozen solid. For some reason, the police just dismissed us as soon as we gave the address and the room number.”

He was just really uneasy at this point. His hair was standing up at the back of his neck and he was pretty sure it wasn’t because of the cold.

“Weird.” And he meant it. Keith's experienced weird things, supernatural and definitely not considered conventional in normal terms, but this easily topped the list.

“Yeah, it really is.” Hunk agreed, giving the door a long hard look.

“Anyway, we should get going. You guys needed this for something right?”

He nodded when Hunk gestured to the gas lighter he held in his hand and started walking before Hunk could tell him to lead the way. Keith didn’t lie, he appreciated the shift of topic.

The room still unsettled him though, and it didn’t help that Hunk and his friends were acting pretty suspicious. Keith just hopes that they won’t bring him or Shiro into whatever it is they’re doing.

They already have more than enough on their plate as it is.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come scream at me on twitter: https://twitter.com/tanginaly !!


	2. to scorched kitchens and even more secrets

“Man, I don’t know about you but that Keith guy seems awfully familiar.”

“Wow, you must be pretty hung up on that guy to say words like ‘awfully’.”

“Pidge, I’m serious! It feels like I’ve seen him before.”

“Uhm, yeah? We’re his neighbors? We live on the same floor? It won’t really be much of a surprise?” Pidge suggested helpfully (at least they like to think so) as they watched the numbers shift on the screen idly. The floor hummed beneath them as the elevator rose to their floor.

“That’s the thing,” He replied, “I’m sure I’ve seen him somewhere else but I just don’t know _where_.”

“Well, I wouldn’t get too caught up in it if I were you. Montgomery gave us another batch of homework and I have half a mind to drop his class.”

Lance gave them a look.

“Pidge, you can’t afford to re-take this class.”

“Ugh.” Pidge sneered as they stepped out of the elevator shaft, “Fuck calculus, honestly.”

“I still can’t believe you finished your homework hours before I did! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Because I knew you’d copy off my work?” Pidge replied. They were joking of course, they knew Lance was a diligent kid and would never do such a thing. He either does it himself or he submits nothing at all.

Still, it was worth seeing his often arrogant demeanor break.

“Pidge!” Lance exclaimed with a playful gasp, clutching his chest in mock-offense, “I can taste your lies from here and you know what they taste like? Treason, that’s what.”

Welp, this was good too. They would take anything at this point.

“Uhh, you’re standing right next to me?” They asked as they tried to stop the grin from breaking out of their face.

“Your point?”

Pidge rolled their eyes in response as the two walked back to their flat, just getting back from their class with Montgomery.

“Okay, fine. I may or may have not enjoyed watching you squirm and beg at the last minute.”

“That’s better– wait. Hey!”

They sniggered under their breath while Lance let out an incoherent yell, ready to start going on tangent about the ‘blatant disrespect’ he was receiving. It was nothing Pidge hadn’t heard before.

They shuddered as soon as they were in front of their door, the cold eerie air from the room across seeping like an unwelcomed fixture on the hall. Pidge should be used to it by now, but it never fails to creep them out.

“First, you take my trust and then you stab me in the back?! How could you, Pidge? How _dare_ you?” Lance gasped dramatically, pressing the back of his hand against his forehead as he shoved his keys into the doorknob to unlock it.

“My own friend! My roommate! I can’t believe you would betray me like this-“

Silence.

“Speechless, Lance?” Pidge smirked, their gaze still on the door while they rubbed their shoulders. When they didn’t receive a response, they turned back.

“Lance?” They called out but Lance still remained unresponsive, as if frozen.

Hands still rubbing their shoulders for warmth, they tried to see beyond his tall frame. They soon realized that standing on their tippy toes was never going to work, they opted to grab Lance by the shoulder instead.

“ _Lance_ ,” They called albeit a little more firmly as they shook him slightly.

“Uhh…” He just finished off pathetically, his hand still wrapped around the door knob.

Pidge was not going to lie, they were incredibly tempted to use their powers to forcibly push Lance out of the door way. They honestly would have if they didn’t tire themself out by helping Hunk with the groceries.

“Lance, seriously, move it.” With a sigh, they tugged him to the side and squeezed between the small space between his body and the door frame.

They popped out after some effort and heaved a breath of relief after they stumbled into the room. Pidge looked up to see whatever it was that had Lance short-circuiting like a buffoon only to find themselves looking at an all too familiar face.

“Katie?”

“ _Shiro_?”

 

* * *

 

**_ FIVE HOURS EARLIER _ **

Keith didn’t know what he was expecting when he opened the door to their flat. Okay, maybe he did expect something like the apartment looking _exactly as it did before he left_ but well.

It didn’t.

He could only watch in horror as the water sprinklers rained on the entire living room and kitchen area. _Dear God, the kitchen._

The stove, the counter, basically the entire corner that made up their kitchen, was scorched black. The sink was broken and squirting water like a hydrant, Keith _swore_ that he could still see fire in the cupboards, and all that was saved was the fridge.

Hunk let out a whistle beside him as he took in the scene.

“What happened here?” He mostly commented rather than asked, but what really got Keith was how unfazed he seemed by the scene. Noticing the look on Keith’s face, Hunk just shrugged.

“Eh, honestly, I’ve seen worse.”

_Worse?! He’s seen worse?! What could possibly be worse than this?!_

As if reading his thoughts (he didn’t need to, Keith showed it all on his face), Hunk explained himself.

“Well, if you’re friends with people like Pidge, Lance, and Allura, these types of accidents are pretty normal,” he laughed.

“I guess we won’t be needing this then.”  Hunk added as he tucked the gaslighter in his pants (which he knows is definitely not safe but he’s not too worried).

Keith perked up when he heard a noise in the bathroom, it sounded like something snapping off and a sudden gush of running of water. He resisted the urge to bury his face into his hands and just _groan._ He didn’t have to guess what happened. It had occurred way too many times for him not to know.

“Keith! Did you know I can-“ Shiro froze just as he stepped out of the bathroom. He had a towel wrapped around his robotic arm but what really won the look was the prominent surprise on his face.

“Oh, you brought a friend.” He stated as if Keith just brought home a classmate from school and they hadn’t come in to find their apartment in shambles.

“Hey, I’m Hunk. I stay at Room 333.” Hunk greeted.

Shiro smiled politely, still standing right across of what could potentially be a crime scene while he waved back. He was sopping wet (despite the towel and the pathetic attempt to dry himself) and it was only in that moment that the sprinklers chose to stop flooding the flat.

“Shiro. I’m Keith’s older brother.”

“Oh, I see, I see. Cool arm, by the way.”

“Thanks! I had a lot of work done on it.”

“I want to say I like what you’ve done with the place but well…” Hunk gestured to the charred remains of the kitchen sheepishly.

Shiro snorted unattractively, “Funny story actually.”

“Shiro, what the fuck.” Keith finally managed to say. Both eyes turned toward him and Keith realized that this was the first time he spoke since he came in.

 “Okay, before you freak out-“

“What do you _mean_ before I freak out-“

“Keith, you’re doing it right now.” Shiro interrupted, “ You’re freaking out right now.”

“I am _not_ freaking out!” Keith exclaimed. For the record, he was completely freaking out.

“Keith.”

“ _Takashi._ ”

“Oh dear, first names. He is _not_ happy.”

“Of course, I’m not happy! I told you not to break anything!”

“Okay, technically, I didn’t break anything.”

“Dude, I hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure that burning a part of your apartment and setting off the sprinklers to rain on every appliance you own is the same as breaking something.” Hunk stated. Keith huffed in agreement beside him.

“Thank you, Hunk.” He said.

“And Keith, you’re totally freaking out.”

“What-“

“ _Thank you, Hunk._ ” Shiro smiled gratefully (and somewhat smugly).

“No problem.”

Keith heaved a long, frustrated groaned.

“Just… what the hell happened, Shiro?” He asked defeatedly as he massaged his temples.

“Okay so, you were taking a while and I had finished cutting the vegetables and seasoning the meat-“

“I was only gone for five minutes.”

“Twenty, actually. I counted.”

“So it took you twenty minutes to _almost burn our apartment down-_ “

“Keith, I’m never going to finish the story if you keep interrupting me.”

Keith grumbled under his breath but shut his mouth nonetheless. Shiro took that as a sign to continue.

“So you were taking a while and I decided to tweak around my am, check out the other upgrades Ma- _they_ had made. The next thing I knew, a cylinder popped out right underneath my hand and just spewed out fire! It went like _fwooosh_ and all. You should’ve seen it, the firepower was _amazing._ ”

“Shiro, you nearly burned the entire building down.”

“In my defense, it took me a while to figure out how to turn it off.” Shiro replied defensively, “But yes, pretty much.”

A pregnant silence ensued. Shiro stood awkwardly in front of the bathroom while Hunk and Keith stayed by the doorway. The former was idly shifting his weight from one foot to another while the latter was massaging the bridge of his nose.

“So… what now?” Shiro asked.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m surprised the sprinklers went off but the fire alarm didn’t.” Hunk commented. Shiro then looked like he was caught stealing from the cookie jar.

“Yeah, we kinda… did something about that.” He told him.

Hunk stared at him for a good moment before replying, “Yeah, that’s totally not suspicious at all.”

Shiro winced.

Hunk raised an eyebrow and stared even longer, examining Shiro’s face. He didn’t expect that sort of reaction at all. Shiro stood stiffly, occasionally glancing towards Keith as if asking for help.

Keith balled his hands, his nails digging into the leather of his gloves as he prepared to knock out the big man if he tries anything.

“Yeah, not suspicious at all.”

Keith tensed, ready to fly at him with his fist in the air when Hunk moved. To his surprise, Hunk began to take off his shoes and walked back to the front door to leave it outside.

“I mean, you’ve been acting suspicious since you knocked on our door,” He told him.

Shiro raised an eyebrow towards Keith but Keith pointedly ignored him. Instead, Keith quickly opened his mouth to rebut but Hunk beat him to the cut.

“And like, yeah, I get it. We all have secrets to keep and it’s not like we’re not really into the whole telling-strangers-our-entire-life-story kind of thing too.” He said, making air quotations with his fingers as he walked back in and made his way to the living room, stepping on the flood of water like it didn’t bother him.

“I mean, yeah, that’s weird as hell. It’s not like y’all need to know about this bad rash I had in the third grade or how I almost got expelled because for some reason, I scare this white girl named Melissa whose mom was the PA President.” He bent down and put both hands underneath the couch, ready to lift it up.

“So like, yeah dude. As long as you guys don’t plan to pull a _The Shining_ and try to kill us then we’re good- Wait.”

Hunk paused then looked up, a suspicious and a tad fearful look on his face.

“You guys aren’t like, convicted criminals, right?”

Shiro appeared thoughtful then shook his head though amused by the suggestion.

“Not that I’m aware, no.” He replied.

“Oh.” Hunk visibly relaxed, “Good.”

Keith’s eyes widened with genuine surprise when Hunk lifted the couch effortlessly and draped it around his shoulder. He looked more worried about how he was going to balance it instead of the weight and Keith _personally_ knew just how heavy that couch is.

Shiro was quick to run to his side when the couch dipped down. He held the opposite edge with his human arm and Keith could tell that Shiro wasn’t carrying any weight at all, just providing some balance.

“Thanks, dude.” Hunk then turned to Keith who was staring at him as if he had to heads jutting out his neck.

“What?” He asked.

“How are you doing that?”

“Do what?”

“That.” Keith gestured towards his everything, “You, carrying the couch like it only weighs a couple of pounds.”

Hunk’s face was like a cocktail of emotions then. First, he looked confused then realization (and alarm? Keith wasn’t sure) dawned on his face then he was relaxed and dismissive.

“Oh, I used to do weight lifting. I wanted to be a weight-lifter when I was younger then I realized it’s not really what I want to be doing for the rest of my life, you know?” He explained with a laugh.

“Anyway, let me just put this outside.” He added as he started to move.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked. Hunk stopped walking and gave him a look.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m trying to steal your couch and your brother is helping me. We’re in it together, you know?”

“ _Hunk_.”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I’m trying to help you guys clean up. Might as well, since I’m already here and all. Besides, the water damage might be pretty bad.” He shrugged.

“You really don’t have to do this. We can deal with this ourselves,” Shiro told him.

“Nah, too late. I’m carrying your couch. Then I’m going to carry your TV and your furniture, and I’m going to put it outside so that we can properly mop this place dry.”

“Actually, you guys mop, I pry your appliances open to see if they’re still salvageable.” He added thoughtfully.

“Oh uhh, are you an engineer?” Shiro asked.

“Still a student  but yeah, I’m taking up Mechanical Engineering so I guess you can say that?” Hunk laughed.

“Anyway, I want to help you guys, but if it turns out that y’all are actually drug dealers or part of some yakuza which you also can’t blame me for thinking so,” he said, gesturing to Shiro’s arm, “I’m really going to want to hear at least some sort of story before I consider reporting you guys. It doesn’t have to be whole truth or anything.”

He wasn’t going to a lie, Keith was at a loss. They didn’t know Hunk at all and to trust him with their secret… Well, Hunk seemed like a trustworthy guy and he doesn’t seem to be the type to…

Keith frowned. But it was a _big_ secret. It was the reason why they were here, why they’re not sure if they can stay here for long.

Why after five years, they were still on the run.

But if they don’t… he looked at the bigger man who was examining the wet floor. Keith wasn’t sure what Hunk would do.

Would he report them? Call the police? Tell the government?

Keith’s brows knitted into a deeper scowl.

_Does Hunk even know about Galra Enterprise?_

The smile was back on Shiro’s face but Keith could tell it was guarded. Shiro might think himself a great actor, but Keith has known him for him a long time to distinguish whether or not his expressions were genuine.

“Yeah, we should get this out. My arm’s kinda feeling the weight of this thing.”

He was lying. His arm was barely shaking and by the looks of it, the couch probably weighed like next to nothing to him.

“Sure, I got your back.” Shiro said as they made their way across the room and out the front door.

However, Keith didn’t miss the look he gave him. Keith nodded, acknowledging that he got the message albeit shamefully like a child scolded by his parent.

_You brought him here, figure this out._

But this was way too much to figure out alone.

 

* * *

 

**_ Meanwhile… _ **

“Hunk sure is taking a while.” Lance commented. Pidge only nodded in agreement as they continued to file the fallen cans of soup into the cupboards. They were nearly done, but there were still a lot more bags to unpack.

They already felt themself growing more and more tired, unaccustomed to using their powers continuously for a period of time. Pidge clicked their tongue when it occurred to them that they have been slacking off.

Allura was going to have their head if she wasn’t already in it.

_I heard that._

Shit. Pidge cursed, the can toppling down to the floor a second time when they lost their focus.

**Dude, seriously? Some privacy would be nice.**

_Hey, you were talking shit. I couldn’t help it._

They huffed, somewhat hoping that Allura picked up their verbal expression of annoyance. As much as Pidge appreciated Allura’s existence, they didn’t exactly appreciate her getting into every nook and cranny of their brain no matter how much they insist that it builds trust.

_Also, we’re going to amp your level of training. You’re getting better with control but your stamina is still really horrible._

Pidge groaned internally.

**Can’t we do this after midterms? You know, when we’re not swamped with schoolwork and dying?**

_Pidge, you said the same thing during Prelims. Don’t be lazy._

**Okay, but consider this: School is important and the courses are expensive.**

_You literally just said you wanted to boycott Montgomery’s class!_

**Okay, but consider this: Montgomery can suck it.**

_Wow. Your hatred for Calculus knows no bounds. We’re still amp-ing your training though._

**Damn it, Allura. I thought we were friends.**

_Darling, we are. xoxo_

As if to signal the end of the conversation, the buzzing in Pidge’s brain dispersed as soon Allura left their head.

“Hey, Pidge?”

“What?” They snapped irritably. However, they didn’t miss the flash of hurt that crossed Lance’s face. Pidge immediately softened after that.

“Sorry, was talking to Allura just now. You were saying?” They urged, relieved when Lance looked chipper again.

“Oh, that makes more sense.” He mused, “Anyway, do you think they bought it?”

“Bought what?” Pidge asked, cocking their head to the side in question.

“The ‘me thinking they’re hot thing’. Keith should be freaked out, right? I mean as a guy coming on to another guy, that should scare him off, right?”

“That’s homophobic.”

“I’m bisexual.”

“Being bisexual doesn’t really stop you from being homophobic.” Pidge deadpanned.

“But see, I was using that to our advantage, to protect our asses from becoming the government’s personal lab rats and all.” Lance countered.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that it is, but good point.”

A pregnant silence ensued. Pidge softly tugged the cupboards shut with their mind after they filed the last of the cans.

“Do you think he’ll still want to come back after that?”

“You _want_ him to come back?”

Lance didn’t reply but the look on his face told them as much. Pidge sighed.

“Lance, you do know that you don’t have to scare off every person who visits our flat, right? It’s not like I can’t control my telekinesis or anything.”

“I know. I just don’t want it to be like last time.”

“Dude, it’s fine-“

“No, it’s not.” Lance interrupted, “Allura literally had to hunt down the guy and the friends he’s told to wipe their memories. It wasn’t pretty at all.”

Pidge sighed.

“If you insist.” They said, dropping the argument completely, “What do you think? Do you think you scared him off?”

“Well, for the most part, he’s pretty wary of us. So cautious it was actually _painful_ , you’d think he was the one with the big life-changing secret.” Lance mused, “I’m pretty sure he was convinced that we were all murderers at one point.”

“Please,” Pidge scoffed, “You can’t even kill a fly without crying.”

“ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS, PIDGE.”

“Whatever.” They waved dismissively as they made their way back to their spot, the other rest of the groceries forgotten as they settled themself comfortably in the middle of the lesson sheets. Those were Hunk’s problem now.

“You were saying?” Pidge asked as they got settled.

“What was I saying?”

“Keith. Paranoia. Him acting as if we were the next Sweeney Todd.”

“Oh, it was kind of cute actually.”  

Pidge stared at him long and hard before shaking their head. They really should have expected this.

“Of course. You, of all people, would definitely find paranoia and general distrust adorable.” They said as they pulled their notebook from the mess.

“Can it, Pidge.” Then a wide grin spread across his face, “Get it? ‘Can it’? Because you-“

“ _Oh my God_.”

Lance laughed when Pidge tossed an eraser at his person. He ignored how it bounced off his shoulder and just continued to cackle, much to Pidge’s dismay.

Dear Lord, if they just didn’t owe their life to this guy.

 

* * *

 

“Katie?”

“ _Shiro_?”

“You two know each other?” Lance asked, finally slipping out of his frozen state. Pidge ignored him.

“I... You’re alive.” They said, their voice barely a whisper.

“They didn’t tell you?” Shiro asked. Rage quickly began to build in Pidge’s chest at the question.

“What do you mean _they_?” They hissed.

“Matt, Sam, your mother.” Shiro listed, “I’ve been visiting them for two years now. They never told you?”

“No.” Pidge answered darkly, “They didn’t.”

A thick silence settled in the room, a long distance between Pidge and Shiro.

Lance didn’t dare make a noise. He softly shut the door behind him so that the unwanted cold from the room across wouldn’t get in. He wanted to ask, remind Pidge that he was just as much of a Holt as they were for five years now, but it didn’t feel like the time.

The room was heavy and the tension was thick. He didn’t need to touch anyone to know that they were in pain. Pidge was a cocktail of emotions. They were surprised, angry, hurt and felt completely and utterly betrayed. And the guy, Shiro, wanted nothing more than to hug them. Tell them how sorry he was, tell them how much he missed them.

Lance knew and he was terrified that one word from him would break them.

“I thought you were dead.” Pidge finally managed to choke out, their voice a coarse whisper, “I didn’t think you got out.”

“I’m sorry.”

Wrong word.

Lance’s eyes widened in fear as an overwhelming rage engulfed him. This wasn’t his emotions, it was Pidge’s.

“What the _hell_ are you apologizing for?” Pidge asked, their voice eerily calm despite the anger dripping from their tongue.

The lights flickered out and the entire room began to shake. Lance watched in horror as all of their furniture simultaneously began to levitate a few inches into the air.

He immediately flew forward and enveloped Pidge into an embrace, wrapping his arms around them tightly.

 _“Don’t touch me!”_ Pidge screeched. At this the bulbs shattered and the furniture shot up into the air. Vases and picture frames fell off their surface and fell to the floor, the glass and porcelain shattering into pieces.

Shiro was at a loss, he didn’t know what to do. He stood there dumbly, not sure if he should do something or not. One look from the other boy kept him in place, however. One look and he knew that he got this.

Lance whispered reassurances into Pidge’s ear as he pulled them closer into him, hugging them tighter. Pidge thrashed in his arms but he held on firmly. He pressed his chest against their back and willed them to calm down, hoping that he could relay his comfort to them.

Eventually, the floor stilled and the shaking had stopped. The furniture slowly came back down, landing on the floor with a small thump.

Lance waited until their breathing had evened out before he let go.

No one made a sound, satisfied with just letting the Pidge’s deep breaths fill the room. Lance eyed Shiro, watching the bead of sweat roll down his face as he tried to find his words.

He was surprised. Not about Pidge’s powers but rather, their outburst. Lance’s brows furrowed into a scowl.

He knew.

A creak of the door broke the silence as other voices filled the room.

“Oh, hey guys! You’re home early.” Hunk chirped as he entered, Keith shuffling in after him.

“Woah, what happened here?” He asked, completely ignorant to the tension in the room before he came in as he laid down bags of groceries.

“Hunk, what the hell, I thought you were dead!” Lance exclaimed. Hunk scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“Oh, heh, yeah. I was helping these guys out with their apartment. It got flooded. Didn’t you guys see me on your way down?”

Lance remembered how he and Pidge got down by using the window in his room, a sturdy plank of wood they found lying near the dumpsters on the ground floor, and Pidge’s telekinetic powers.

“Uhh, no. We were in a hurry.” He replied.

Hunk frowned, looking thoughtful.

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t see you guys at all.” He said.

“Uhh, you were probably still inside their room.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Hunk hummed as he began to unpack the groceries.

“I’m…” Lance’s head whipped towards Pidge who had finally spoken. Exhaustion rolled off them in waves and Lance couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. Guess he was going to ask them the Big Questions later.

“I’m going to my room.” They finally finished as they grabbed their fallen bags on the floor. No one stopped them. They could only watch as they disappeared into their room.

“Do I want to ask?” Hunk asked.

“We’ll talk about it later.” Lance said as he watched Hunk pull a fresh batch of raw meat out of the bag and slap it on the counter.

“Didn’t you just do groceries?” He asked, crinkling his nose at the smell.

“Oh yeah, they’re joining us for dinner if you don’t mind.” Hunk told him, “Oh yeah, Keith, can you pass me the vinegar? I think it was in your bag.”

Keith obliged wordlessly, pointedly avoiding looking at Lance.

Lance, however, didn’t need Keith to look at him to know that his words from earlier was still fresh in his mind. That and his ears and neck were tinged with red.

He swore that the red only became more vibrant as he walked closer.

“Anyway, why are you guy so early? Don’t you have a class at this hour?”

“Oh, Mr. Harris cancelled, something about his daughter being sick. It sounded pretty bad.” Lance replied

“Oh no, I hope she’s okay.”

“Same. He brought her to class once. She was a sweetheart.”

Lance propped himself up on the counter, ignoring Hunk’s cries for breach of sanitation as he stared at Shiro. The man had taken the liberty to retire to their couch. He had his arms crossed and looked deep in thought. He practically reeked of anxiety and he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Lance frowned.  
  
He was going to get to the bottom of this even if it was the last thing he’ll do.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair reminder that Pidge has been awake for over 80 hours at this point and has been using their powers excessively in that time period. Petition for them to go the /fuck/ to sleep.
> 
> I'm not gonna lie, this chapter was really difficult to write. I constantly had to re-write scenes and redo lines because I was constantly dissatisfied (so many... scrapped one-liners... I'm in tears...).
> 
> I'm really happy with the response the first chapter got (despite being posted on a thursday) and honestly, it's what motivated me to really sit down and think about the story. I hope I'm not moving too fast though, my biggest worry about writing this is that I might be moving too fast and just ruining the pacing in general. I hope I didn't give too much away either since I don't really want to reveal Keith, Hunk, and Lance's powers just yet! ;3c
> 
> Not gonna lie, I kinda want to see what theories you have in mind/kicked. Superhero AUs are so hard to concoct, honestly. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! 
> 
> Please don't forget to tell me what you think down in the comments! Also, don't hesitate to point out grammar and spelling errors if you spot any, I'm more or less blind to my own work at this point ahahaha... Constructive criticism is also welcomed and appreciated!
> 
> Don't be a stranger! Come scream at me on twitter: https://twitter.com/tanginaly !!


	3. to calls and voice mails

_Click._

 

“Hello! If you’re listening to this, it might mean that I have my hands full at the moment. You can either wait for me to call back- which might take a while, or leave a message after the beep! Just give it a few seconds, say 3… 2… 1…”

 

_Beep!_

 

_“Matt, it’s me. I… Shiro was at my apartment today. Is. He’s still outside. He apparently lives down the hall with his little brother, Keith. Did you know he had a brother? I always thought he was an only child since he never mentioned having one. It was like seeing a ghost, I… I didn’t know he made it. I thought he died. I thought there were no survivors. The riot in the facility… I thought they killed them all. I thought we were the only ones who got out. I…”_

 

A pause.

 

_“Why didn’t you tell me? He said he’s been visiting you- all of you, for two years now. Two years. All that time, all that goddamn time and you didn’t tell me- us. You didn’t tell any of us. None of you did.”_

 

Another pause. A longer one.

 

_“Why? Why didn’t you? You knew he was important, Matt. You knew.”_

 

A choking noise.

 

 _“I… I gotta go. Don’t bother calling back. I… I’m not sure if I want to talk to you right now. I’m not sure if I even want to_ see _you right now. Just… two years, Matt. You kept it from me- from_ us _for two years. You, mom and dad, you all kept it from us.”_

 

A shaky breath.

 

_“University’s great. Lance is doing great. He still wakes up in cold sweat after dreaming about the facility… if not the day of the riot itself. He says he doesn’t remember much, his memories are still fragmented despite the dreams.”_

 

A sigh.

 

_“He misses them. His real family. He asks me if he could at least see them and honestly? It’s getting harder and harder to tell him no.”_

 

Silence.

 

_"I have to go. Don’t call back. Not now. I’ll call you when I’m ready. I… It was nice hearing from you, even if it’s just your dumb voice mail all the time. Bye.”_

 

_Click._

 

* * *

 

 

_Click._

 

“It’s Pidge. Ugh, Lance, do I seriously have to-? Urgh. Whatever. If you’re listening to this, I’m either in class or ignoring you. If I don’t shoot you a text after the first couple of calls then I’m most definitely ignoring you.  Anyway, leave a message after the beep or whatever.”

 

_Beep!_

 

_"Pidge, damn it, pick up your phone. Look, I know you said not to call back but we need to talk about this. Face to face, preferably. I’ll be at that café near your campus on Thursday at 5PM, the same one you dragged me to last time I visited. Please meet me there. I’m going to tell Lance about this so he can drag your ass there if you’re being stubborn.”_

 

A tired sigh.

 

 _“Look, I’m sorry. We’re sorry. We didn’t know that it mattered that much to you. If it makes up for it, we don’t know what happened on that day either. He didn’t say anything so we never asked. All we know is he managed to escape with another patient…_ prisoner _named Keith.”_

 

A grunt.

 

_“We’ll talk about this on Thursday, okay? Next week Thursday, I mean. Not tomorrow. Just please, be there. After that, we can go ambush Shiro and ask him what happened that night. Does that sound good? I’m going to have to go soon but promise me- shoot me a little text or something or have Lance tell me in your stead… just promise me you’ll be there. Please.”_

 

A distant voice yells in the background.

 

_"I need to go. I’ll talk to you on Thursday, okay? And Pidge? I’m glad you guys are doing well. Please tell Lance we’re sorry. We'll tell him everything soon. I hope. Good bye.”_

 

_Click._

 

* * *

 

 

_(12:34) we have class on 5PM. how does friday sound? same time_

(13:56) Sounds good!

_(13:58) pidge still not picking up?_

(14:05) Nope.                                                                                                                 

_(14:11) ehhh they’ll come around_

 

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s been a couple of days, do you think they’re okay?”

“I don’t know. I mean, they’re eating the food I’ve been leaving them but ...”

“Yeah… they haven’t exactly left their room since.”

_I can hear you._

“Is it my fault? I mean… I was the one who brought them here.”

“Listen to me, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know. I’m sure they don’t blame you.”

“Yeah, are you sure because you can feel them or do you just know?”

“I just know.”

_Just leave me alone._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't sure if i could update on time so i decided to cut chapter 3 into pieces. will put up the rest of the chapter as chapter 4 this weekend so i really hope this is fine.
> 
> hope you enjoy!
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment! comments make me so happy honestly ;; v ;;
> 
> oooooor u can come scream at me on twitter: https://twitter.com/tanginaly !!


	4. to worried roommates and underground rings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS TOOK ME?? TWO WEEKS TO FINISH?? AMAZING.
> 
> I swear, this was actually the hardest chapter to write. I kept getting stuck, it was terrible. But anyway, I'm late but I delivered ((and I made this chapter extra long to compensate pls forgive me)). I hope y'all enjoy this!

 

 

“You can’t force them out, Lance. You know how dangerous it is.”

“You think I don’t know what? I can literally feel their hostility gnawing on my arm when they know I’m outside their room!”

“They’re angry and they need time. You know how they are with their privacy.”

“It’s been _three days_ and they haven’t left their room even once! They’re skipping out meals, skipping out class- have I mentioned that they haven’t been to class? ‘Cause yeah, they haven’t been to class.”

“Look, I know you’re worried for them but you still have to respect their space.”

“I always respected their space, Allura.”

“I know you do but right now, they don’t know that. What you can do for them is show them that you care in your own little way, without using your powers.”

“Hey, what’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“I know you, Lance. You’ll do anything you can to help the people you love, even if it means breaking your own rules. And Pidge? They trust you. They trust you not to… use your abilities on them. Just give them time, Lance. Like you said, they’ll come around.”

“I have to do at least _something._ ”

“Lance, you know your fears. You know your insecurities. You are the only one who can make sure that it won’t become a reality. Don’t do anything you know you’re going to regret.”

“Thank you for waiting! Here’s your Caramel Popcorn Krusher and your Kookies ‘n Kream Krusher. Please enjoy your meal!”

They paused their conversation as they nodded at the waitress in thanks. Allura had invited Lance out for lunch at KFC in return to when he sent her notes a few days ago. They waited for her to leave before either one of them made a move.

When she left, Allura slid the golden drink towards Lance before gingerly taking her own shake into her hands. She crinkled her nose distastefully when he took a sip from his straw.

“But seriously, just give them a few more days. It’s not like they’re starving themself, right?” She asked though Lance didn’t miss the way she eyed his drink distastefully.

He shook his head.

“No. As far as we know, they’re eating. Hunk’s been leaving food for them outside their door and it’s always clean when we come back to get it.” He replied with a sigh, leaning back on his seat defeatedly.

“See?” Lance’s eye twitched at her know-it-all voice, “They’ll be fine. Just give them some time. Plus they’ve been attending classes faithfully this entire term, they can afford to miss three days.”

“But it’s not fair.” He retorted stubbornly, “It’s not fair to me or to Hunk.”

“But it’s not about you or Hunk.” Allura told him. Lance immediately shut up at that, his cheeks tinting in shame.

“It’s about them. You have to understand that.” She continued.

“Can we change the subject?” Lance asked, crinkling his nose in distaste. Allura stared him down before obliging.

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She said as she picked on her food.

“By the way, we,” Allura pointed her fork towards Lance, “are going to Boxxy’s this evening. Nyma has a match and apparently her opponent is a promising newcomer.”

“I already got us tickets.” She added before she shoved the lettuce into her mouth.

“But it’s Taco Night!” Lance protested.

“Taco Night?” She asked with her mouth full, a puzzled look her face.

“Hunk’s going to turn the apartment into a mini-Chipotle. Didn’t you get the text we sent you?”

“You might have forgotten that I haven’t paid my phone bills yet.” She stated as a matter-of factly.

“Oh, right.” Lance replied dumbly. “But yeah, Taco Night.”

“It’s fine.” Allura assured him as she waved dismissively. “The match is at 5PM and it’ll only last about an hour. We can even bring Nyma back with us!”

Lance pursed his lips in thought as she took a bite off the potato from her salad.

“I have to help Hunk set up.” He finally said.

“Oh, he’ll be fine.”

“Why do I have to be there again?” He asked, making a sound that was a cross between a whine and a groan.

“It’s training.” She answered promptly as she picked another helping and shoved it inside her mouth.

“The better you are at tuning out other people’s emotions, the better your control will be over your powers.”

“Bullshit, you just want someone with you at the audience while you ogle your girlfriend’s pecs.” Lance deadpanned, twirling his straw in his fingers absently.

“That too.” Allura hummed unapologetically.

She peered up at him from beneath her eyelashes and watched the discomfort played on his face like an ever-changing expression. He fidgeted on his seat and sipped on his drink absent-mindedly.

“Okay, fine.” She then put her fork down and leaned forward.

“Talk to me. What happened?” She asked. “You used to be more excited about these things.”

“I don’t know there’s just…” Lance frowned as he tried to find the right words. He held his drink in both of his hands, letting the cold pierce through his skin before numbing in feeling.

“There’s this new _thing_ lately. I… It feels wrong. It’s hard to explain.”

“Try me.” She raised an eyebrow when Lance responded with an exasperated groan.

“Can’t you just read my mind or something?” He asked.

“Lance, that’s lazy and I’m not using my abilities for something like that.” She scolded, her gaze stern.

“You’ve been communicating with me telepathically for the last few days because you haven’t paid your bills.” Lance replied accusingly.

“That’s different. You’re right in front of me now and I’m not wasting my energy for a conversation we can easily have verbally.”

Lance sighed, releasing his hold on the drink.

“Look, it’s nothing big really. It’s just…” He released an indescribable noise before continuing, “There’s been a really weird air lately. There’s just more than a bloodthirsty high now.”

“What do you mean? What else is there?”

“It’s… violent.” At that, Allura laughed.

“Of course it’s violent. It’s an illegal underground ring.” She told him in between giggles. However, her laughter immediately died at the look on his face.

“No, it’s not that it’s…”

Allura’s eyes widened as chills ran up her spine. She felt the blood drain out of her face when he said the next words.

“It’s diabolical.”

She frowned, biting her lip as if deep in thought.

“When did you start feeling this presence?” She asked him.

“Three months ago? I don’t know, it might have always been there for all I know.”

“And it was always there since?”

Lance stared at her as he wondered where she was going with this. He wasn’t going to lie, he didn’t really expect this sort of reaction from her.

“Yeah. It was always this… constant feeling. It was cold but chaotic.” His eyes narrowed to slits.

“Why? Is it bad? Do you know something?” He asked while he watched Allura reach  for her phone.

“No, it’s fine. I just…” She started.

Her brows furrowed even deeper when she realized that she couldn’t make any calls or at least send a text. With a huff, she shoved her phone in her bag. She quickly snapped it closed and began to get on her feet. Lance stared at her, his eyes wide with alarm.

He began to stand up but with a flick of her wrist, a heavy force pulled him back to his seat.

“What-“

“It’s an emergency. I gotta go.”

“Allura, what’s going on?”

“Meet me in front of Boxxy’s at 4:30PM. No ‘but’s.” Lance immediately closed his mouth before he could even protest.

“Be there.” Allura said firmly, ignoring the stares they was getting and grabbed her bag from the seat.

“Allura!” Lance called after her as she sprinted out of the fast food chain.

As soon as she was out, she closed her eyes, her brows furrowing in focus. An image of Nyma flickered in her mind and soon enough, she was in her head.

_Nyma?_

_ I hear you, babe. _

She couldn’t help the way her lips curled into a smile at the sound of her voice. But as fast as it came, the pounding in her chest took over and her lips pursed into a thin line.

_We need to talk._

 

* * *

 

“All my friends are eating steak and snow.”

“Lance, I swear to God, if you sing that line _one more time_ , you can kiss Taco Night good bye.”

The boy mentioned huffed haughtily as he crossed his arms in defiance, “It’s music, Hunk.”

“That’s not even the right lyrics.”

“It’s a _meme._ ”

“It’s not even that funny!” Hunk exclaimed as he gathered his things. Lance gasped scandalously next to him.

“Hunk! There are children here!”

“We’re in a university classroom.” Hunk deadpanned as he got up from his seat. Lance quickly followed suit, shoving his things into his bag as he got up.

“I _am_ the children.”

“Oh, wow, I didn’t know you were self-aware.”

“Ansakit mo naman magsalita, bes.”

“Well, as you like to say, _masakit masaktan._ ” Hunk quipped, his accent butchering the pronunciation of the words. He ignored the way Lance cringed in favor of swiping the handouts by the professor’s desk as they left the room.

Hunk gave Lance his extra copy which the skinnier boy accepted gratefully.

“Whatever, I’ll send the meme to Pidge instead. I think they’ll enjoy it better than you do.”

“Lance, Pidge likes nihilist memes. Literally. They’re subscribed to the facebook page.”

“A little bit of variety can’t hurt anybody.”

“Well, have they been replying?”

“Nope.” Lance replied, making the ‘p’ pop, “They didn’t even bother to seenzone me. Talk about rude.”

“Man, I hope this works. I’m even making their favorite, peanut-butter dipped Churros.” Lance stopped in his tracks when a pensive look washed over Hunk’s face.

“Dude, don’t sweat it. They’ll come out.” He assured the bigger man.

“Speaking of Taco Night, are you inviting the guys at 302?” Lance asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I kind of want to extend the courtesy but…” Hunk trailed off.

“Yeah, last time we had them over, Pidge had a meltdown.” Lance finished with a sigh.

They allowed the conversation to stop there as they tried maneuver down the crowded hall. Hunk muttered half-hearted apologies when some students (usually freshmen) would bump into him.

“Do you really think they’ll come out tonight?” He asked as soon as they were out of the building.

Lance eyed the dark clouds warily before deciding to pull his hood over his head. Hunk pulled out his umbrella just in case.

“Why not? It’s not like they’re some washed up rockstar with AIDs named Roger.” Lance replied.

“And you’re not a hot latina dancer in fishnets either.” He added. Hunk groaned in response.

“Thanks for the mental image.” He said as he massaged the bridge of his nose, “Remind me to ask Allura to bleach my brain so I can get that out of my head.”

“Get what out of your head? Pidge in 90s grunge rocking a mullet or you in fishnets?”

“ _Both_.”

To his dismay, Lance only laughed.

“It’s not that bad. I think it suits them.” He said thoughtfully, “Speaking of mullets-”

“Here we go.”

“Uhm, rude.” Lance started as he waved a finger at him. “First of all, I actually have nothing to say. I just remembered him, it’s like I just immediately associate him with mullets now.”

“Dude, the first thing you said to the guy was literally ‘Oh my God, he has a mullet’.” Hunk said, giving Lance a look as he opened the umbrella over their heads. Lance immediately shuffled under in attempt to escape the rain that had begun to pour.

“It’s true though!” Lance exclaimed.

“If there was a textbook definition of _Futuristic 80’s_ you’d have a photo of Keith’s full body profile plastered on it.”

“I still don’t get why you’re so hung up about him. I mean, it’s been like what, three days since he knocked on our door? Oh, watch your step.” Hunk ushered him to his side so he could dodge the crack on the pavement. Lance muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ at the gesture.

“I don’t know there’s just something. It’s like…” Lance paused as his brows furrowed in thought, “It’s like I’ve met him before but I don’t know where.”

“Dude, we’re his neighbors. We live on the same floor. You probably shared the lift before or something.”

“Pidge said the same thing too but I really don’t think that’s it. He feels too… _familiar_ , like I should know him. Like an old friend.” Lance said.

“And somehow that’s got you thinking that it’s completely acceptable behavior to get on his case for his fashion sense.” Hunk replied sarcastically.

“Yeah, exactly.”

Hunk frowned at him, “Lance.”

“I don’t know!” Lance threw his hands up in exclamation before shoving it into the pockets of his jacket.

“It’s just… there’s something about him that is so familiar to me and it seriously pisses me off that I don’t know what it is. I haven’t had my powers go into a haywire like this before.” He explained.

“Your powers?” Hunk cocked a brow at him, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I don’t understand it either.” Lance told him as he scratched his head in frustration, “But something is pulling me to this guy. Like I’ve met him before- like I _know_ him.”

“Is it your powers,” Hunk began, “or is it destiny?”

“Hunk, you know I don’t buy any of that destiny crap.”

“Point taken, no need to get all snappy. It was just a suggestion.” Hunk told him, raising his hands defensively.

“Sorry, it’s just that…” Lance glared at the pavement, his jaw slackening as he tried to find his words.

“There’s just something about him.” He finally finished.

“Are you sure it’s not because you have a crush on the guy?” Hunk teased. After walking a couple more steps, he realized that Lance wasn’t next to him.

He turned his back and saw Lance standing a few feet behind him, brows knitted in thought.

“Lance?” He called out.

“Yeah, no. I don’t think it’s a crush.” Lance said. Hunk raised an eyebrow at him quizzically as he walked back to where he was.

“Why not?” He asked.

“I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t describe the feeling you get from your crush as betrayal.”

“Okay, you had me,” Hunk started, “and then you lost me.”

Lance only shrugged in reply. Hunk scratched the back of his head, confused.

“But why would you feel betrayed? You only just met him.” He asked.

“That’s what I don’t get either.” Lance said, his eyes still glued to the floor.

“I’m not sure if these emotions are his or mine. All I know is that I’m angry,” He paused, missing the worried look on Hunk’s face as he kicked a stray pebble.

“And I feel like I’ve been abandoned by the person I trust the most.”

Hunk stared at him, hoping that he would elaborate. But seeing as how he sighed and began to walk forward without another word, Hunk figured that he wanted to drop the subject.

Lance may be an empath by power, but Hunk was an empath by nature.

And unlike Lance, he knew what to do.

“What time is it?” Lance asked as soon as Hunk fell into step.

“4:11PM, why?”

Lance cussed under his breath as he widened his strides, speeding up his pace, “I’m gonna be late.”

“Oh yeah, Boxxy’s with Allura.” Hunk recalled out loud.

“You’re okay, right? I mean, I really tried to get out of it but you know Allura.” Lance told him, scratching his neck bashfully.

“I get it, dude. Besides, I always do most of the cooking anyway.” Hunk laughed.

“Uhm, rude. If you must know, I am a _capable_ assistant to a chef like yourself.” Lance stated haughtily, standing a little straighter as he gestured to himself proudly.

“Yeah, yeah. Just go before Allura tears your ass a new one.” He told him.

At that, Lance threw him a grateful smile before sprinting ahead of him. Some part of him was scared that maybe Lance might trip over his feet because of the rain, but another part of him reassured him that he’ll be fine.

As soon as Lance was out of sight, Hunk sighed.

“Wooo, Taco Night. Fun.” He cheered quietly though his tone lacked the usual enthusiasm.

God, he hated drama.

 

* * *

 

 “You’re late.”

Lance cocked a brow at her when the screen of his phone blared the numbers 4:26PM. Allura pointedly ignored the look he was giving her and turned on her heel, gesturing him to follow when she began making her way towards the warehouse.

They were still outside but the ground thrummed underneath their feet. The music was muffled but loud, the volume plus the heavy beat seemed to shake everything within the vicinity. As they walked, Lance noticed the long line towards the door.

… And that they were just strolling right to the entrance despite it.

He pretended to fiddle with his phone, trying to ignore the dark glares they were getting while Allura talked to the bouncer.

Lance learned some ago that the bouncer’s name was Ben and as Allura put it, he was someone you wanted on your side.

Ben was over six foot tall, stocky but built; kind of like Hunk’s body type but leaner and was bald. He also wore a suit and a Bluetooth headset strapped to his ear like a secret agent or something. He honestly looked like the kind of guy who could break your arm just by holding it.

However, despite his intimidating look, he was visibly relaxed when he spoke to Allura. There was a wide smile etched on his face and he talked to her as if she were an old friend.

(“Allura! How’s my favorite girl?”

“I’m good! How are you? How are the wife and kids?”

“Oh, they’re doing s’well! Little Johnny’s on the honor roll, Diana won Homecoming Queen, and the wife’s expecting another baby.”

“That’s great news! How far along is she?”)

As far as Lance was concerned, this was one of Allura’s natural skills. She could talk to anyone and everyone and form fast friendships with them. She could even be best friends with the mob boss for all he knows!

“Lance.” Speaking of the devil, he looked up to see Allura glaring at him.

She was already on the other side of the door that Ben had been holding open. She impatiently beckoned him to follow her in. He obliged quickly, nodding at Ben thankfully as he entered. As soon as he was in, the music blared even louder in his ears, thrumming hard on his eardrums. The lyrics barely made sense in his head.

 

_You’re alright._

 

A certain high washed over him, leaving him light-headed and feeling weightless.

Allura must have noticed because the next thing he knew, her hand was wrapped around his wrist. He let her pull him along the cheering crowd, not trusting his own feet to move without incident.

 

_There’s nothing wrong._

 

Lance’s vision blurred. He couldn’t breathe, the room was thick with sweat and bloodlust. He tried to focus his gaze on the ring, narrowing his eyes as he tried and failed to make sense of the scene.

 

_Self-sufficiency, please!_

 

His heart pounded hard against his chest. It was too much.

Everything was overwhelming him and the height of the crowd’s collective emotions didn’t help.

 

_And get to work._

 

Lance gasped and suddenly, his vision focused. The next thing he knew, he was watching one of the fighters land a clear cut on her opponent’s face.

 

_And if you complain once more,  
you’ll meet an army of me._

 

The crowd cheered as the opponent staggered, screaming and howling wildly. He watched the blood drip down her face before she wiped it off with a huff, returning to her fighting stance.

Lance’s chest swelled with animalistic energy as he watched the woman lunge at her opponent, returning the favor by punching her square on the jaw.

 

_And if you complain once more,  
you’ll meet an…_

 

Lance snapped up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around, ready to attack the owner but he froze. The animalistic snarl dying in his throat as he found himself mesmerized by big blue eyes.

 

_Army of me._

 

Then everything slowed. The loud music and the screaming fell to the back of his mind. He felt like a clean slate, brand new and unused. His head cleared and he snapped out of his reverie. He felt himself return to his senses and he was no longer overwhelmed by the emotions of the crowd.

“Allura.” He said breathlessly as he took in her face.

“You okay?” Allura asked.  He watched the worry flicker in her eyes as she stared at him quizzically.

He nodded his head, his gaze downcast. He slid her hand off his shoulder but didn’t stop her when she wrapped it around his arm once more. He let her pull him along and took note that this time, the tugging was gentler.

He let his own guilt fester in his gut. The energy that took over his chest had long been replaced by shame.

He let the crowd get to him. He let their emotions dictate his actions.

He wasn’t able to control it.

Lance felt Allura’s hand squeeze around his. He looked up at her, staring at the back of her head as she gave a few more squeezes.

She was trying to comfort him.

He couldn’t stop the ear-splitting grin from spreading on his face at the realization. Allura glanced at him briefly, her lips curling into a small smile.

“Don’t get used to it.” She told him, but Lance only hummed pleasantly.

“You know you love me.” He mused. Allura rolled her eyes but the smile was still evident on her face.

“I beg to differ.” She quipped.

Finally, they stop in front of a door. On it was a big sign that said EMPLOYEES ONLY. He felt her hand leave his arm but his eyes never left the rusty metallic surface of the door. The crowd’s cheers filled his ears once more after the ringing of a bell. The sound didn’t overwhelm him as much as it did earlier but it did pique his interest.

Curious, he turned his head to see who won but was stopped when he felt Allura’s hand on his back. Before he knew it, he was shoved inside the room, the loud music becoming nothing more but a mere rumbling the moment she closed the door.

“Allura, what-“ He managed to out before he landed on the sofa, his gut landing on the edge of the headboard.

To his left, he heard a familiar giggling. He looked up to see a tall blonde with her fingers pressed to her lips as she tried to stifle her laughter. Lance pouted.

“Nyma, I am wounded and you laugh at me.” He started, clutching his chest in mock-pain, “I am _hurt_.”

The laughing only rang louder and Lance couldn’t help but drop the act and smile.

“Sorry Lance!” Nyma sang half-heartedly as she held him up and pulled him into a tight hug.

He knew he should feel more awkward and reserved since she was just in a sports bra and short gym fitting shorts but the affection washed over him the moment her bare skin touched his and he couldn’t help but return the gesture just as enthusiastically.

“Hey, girl. I haven’t seen you in a while.” He said as he patted her back.

Nyma giggled, pulling away to look at him right in the eye, “Don’t call me that.”

Lance smiled at her and the next thing he knew, he was forcibly pried off and pushed to the side. He stumbled a bit, landing softly on the couch before he watched Allura envelop Nyma into a hug, pulling her into a chaste kiss.

He held back a snort. Three years together and you’d think Allura wouldn’t have to be jealous of anyone who comes near her girlfriend.

“That’s gay.” He said half-heartedly when they pulled away.

“You’re gay.” Allura shot back though her tone lacked the heat. She gazed lovingly at Nyma with a love-struck smile plastered on her face.

“Bisexual.” Lance corrected, “There’s a difference.”

That earned him a damp towel to the face. Lance scrambled to his feet, a horrified shriek escaping his throat as he quickly tossed the cloth to the side. Laughter then bounced around the room, both Nyma and Allura’s.

He wanted to be mad but he couldn’t help but be satisfied. Instead, he ‘harrumphed’ and plopped back to the couch, a half-hearted pout on his face. It didn’t last though, his face immediately morphed into a wide smile when the two joined him, pulling him to lie on their lap.

This was good. It was good energy.

Lance was about to make an innuendo before Nyma beat him to the punch.

“So Lance.” She started. He raised an eyebrow at her, suspicious of the new emotion she began to bleed.

“Yes?” He replied hesitantly.

“Allura told me that you’ve been skipping out on training lately. Is there something wrong?” Nyma asked.

He knew it.

He turned his head to give Allura a pointed look which she promptly avoided by burying her face into Nyma’s neck.

“Knowing Allura,” He started, “I’m pretty sure you already know what’s wrong.”

“That’s true.” Nyma laughed while Allura had the decency to look sheepish next to her. However, it seemed that Nyma wasn’t finished.

“Do you want to talk about it though? Anything you want me to know?” She prodded. Lance pretended to think about it for a moment, even making a show by stroking his chin in thought. He then shrugged his shoulders and said,

“Maybe after your match.”

Nyma shot him a disapproving look.

“Lance.”

“Nope. After your match,” He replied firmly.

“No need to have you all tense up right before the big fight. Allura would beat the shit out of me if you lose.” He added.

Allura snorted, “That’s true.”

Lance then pretended to stretch out his arms before draping around Allura’s shoulders (though it just ended with his hand on her neck). With that one touch, he tried to relay just how uncomfortable he was getting with this conversation and how he didn’t want to talk about it any further. Tried being the keyword, he didn’t know if it worked.

But by the look on Allura’s face, it did.

“Oh! Before I forget,” She turned towards Nyma, “I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Nyma asked, giving the girl her full attention. Lance heaved a breath of relief.

Allura bit her lip, keeping her eyes on the leg of the table before finally meeting Nyma’s with a guilty look.

“I don’t think I can attend your next few matches,” She said, “Or as much as I used to.”

Nyma’s eyebrows scrunched up with worry, one hand brushing away a stray hair from Allura’s face.

“Why not?” She asked.

“I mean, it’s no problem but…”

“It’s Thesis Year and school’s getting more demanding in general, especially since I’m graduating.” Allura explained as she gingerly took Nyma in hers. She pressed the palm against her cheeks and looked at her apologetically.

“I hope you’re not mad.” She said.

Nyma’s eyes softened, a gentle look washing over her face as she pressed her forehead against Allura’s.

 “I understand. Guess I’ll just have to give you a good match then.”

“Aw, baby, you don’t have to.”

“But I want to.” Nyma insisted, “I’ll win this one for you, babe. Just watch me.” She then pressed her lips against Allura's, pulling her into a chaste kiss.

Lance wasn’t going to lie, the gesture felt so intimate it made his chest swell from the affection that was rolling off the two. It didn’t help that he was lying on their bare legs. The emotions came to him twice as hard.

When they pulled away and began to look into each other’s eyes, Lance couldn’t help but keel over.

“Gay.” He said, breaking the moment because he was a bitter soul like that. Allura just stuck her tongue out him in reply.

 _Jealous?_ She asked, her voice ringing in his head.

Give me a break, I’m only an old bitter cat lady. He replied.

Allura responded by burying her face into Nyma’s neck once more, a smirk ever so present on her lips. Lance groaned.

 “Okay, I’m out. You lesbians will be the death of me.” He said as threw his legs off the couch and got on his feet.

“Besides, don’t you have to warm up?” He asked as he straightened out his shirt and pulled his jeans back up, “For your game I mean.”

As if on cue, the door opened and the blaring music filled the room once more.

“Nyma, you good?” A man called out from the doorframe.

“Yeah! What’s up?” Nyma yelled back, carrying her voice over the music.

“You’re on! Get to the ring as soon as possible!” And with that, he left. Not even bothering to close the door.

Nyma nodded her head at Allura, pressing her forehead against hers for a moment before grabbing the boxing gloves from the table.

The two of them got up from the couch and made their way out the room. Lance followed suit, closing the door as they left.

The guards served as crowd control. They pushed the people to the side, making a path for Nyma to walk. Allura and Lance walked closely behind her, a wave of pride washing over them as they listened to the crowd cheer and howl for the blonde.

The attention didn’t faze Nyma. Instead, she swaggered forward, swaying her hips to the beat of the song.

 

_You don’t own me._

 

 Lance snuck a look to the crowd. Unlike earlier, he welcomed their hype and excitement. He felt himself becoming just as giddy, it took a lot to control the bounce in his step.

 

_I’m not just one of your many toys._

 

They quickly reached the center. Allura and Lance quickly found their seats, front-row and reserved just for them. Nyma stared forward, a fierce look in her eyes as she put the boxing gloves on.

 

_You don’t own me._

 

He watched Allura blow a kiss towards Nyma which she made a show of catching and pressing her palm against her lips as she got up to the ring.

 

_Don’t say I can’t go with other boys._

 

Nyma climbed into the ring effortlessly, taking a moment to take the place in. There was a moment of quiet despite the noise as she sucked in her breath then shot her fist up in the air. The crowd went wild. Lance swore he could feel his ears ringing from the deafening roar of the crowd.

 

_Don’t tell me what to do,  
and don’t tell me what to say_

 

Nyma strutted around the ring in circles, waving her hands upwards as the crowd cheered even louder. They chanted her name like a religion and she reveled in it.

 

_Please, when I go out with you,  
don’t put me on display._

 

Something shifted in the air as the Nyma returned to her side of the ring. Lance couldn’t put his word on it, but it felt familiar. He looked around, his eyes flicking from one face to another as he tried to find the owner of the emotion.

 _“_ A NEWCOMER TO THE CLUB BUT A VETERAN ON THE RING. INTRODUCING...”

Lance blinked when the light shined over the man standing on the opposite side. Just like Nyma, he had a clear path ahead of him. Violet eyes flashed with determination and Lance inhaled sharply, his brain finally registering who the man was.

“THE RED LION.”

 

_You don’t own me._

 

* * *

 

“FREEZE.”

Hunk stopped in his step, he eyed the pistols warily as the red and blue lights blinked behind the men behind the trigger.

“Officer, I think you have the wrong person-“

“I SAID FREEZE.” The man bellowed, shaking the gun threateningly. He froze, dread settling in his gut as the realization finally sank in.

“Put your items on the ground.” The partner instructed and Hunk obliged, cautiously and gently putting his bags of groceries on the ground.

“Now, put your hands up in the air.” Hunk hesitated but slowly put his hands up. The police officers moved closer, walking towards him like he was a dangerous criminal.

His eyes flickered around the area, noticing the crowd that was beginning to gather out of curiosity. Some carried shopping carts, probably about to make their way over to their cars but were absorbed by the scene. His gaze fell on a familiar face, a neighbor.

He gulped.

“Are you sure that’s him?” The partner asked in a whisper.

“Hell yeah, that’s him.” The first man replied, his gun still pointed towards Hunk.

“He’s big, he’s black, he’s got long hair like them photos.”

Hunk’s throat constricted painfully, stopping him from making any noise but now was his only chance.

“Officer,” He forced out, his voice quivering at the end, “I think you’re making a mistake.”

“SHUT UP AND KEEP YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR.” The first man screamed.

Hunk flinched in fear, his posture wavering for a second, “Officer-“

Silence pierced the air as the sound of two gunshots filled the vicinity. Hunk’s eyes widened the split second the bullets left the canister and struck him in the chest.

 

_No._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c
> 
> The language they were speaking was Filipino! Tagalog to be more specific lmao. Here's the translations:  
> > _"Ansakit mo naman magsalita, bes."_ \- "Your words hurt, friend."  
>  > _"Masakit masaktan."_ \- "It hurts to get hurt."
> 
> Songs in mention:  
> > Army of Me by Bjork - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KxtgS2lU94  
> > You Don't Own Me by GRACE ft. G-Eazy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SeRU_ZPDkE
> 
> Special thanks to @SilvermistNightray for helping me out with this chapter! Honestly, they're really great. I don't know what I'd do without them. Do check out their fics if you have the time! Fair Warning: They like to hurt you. :(
> 
> Also y'all got me, Lance's power is Empathy. He can feel other people's emotions, relay his own to others, and lowkey manipulate them. It's an actual thing, read up on it here: http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Empathy
> 
> Come scream at me on:  
> > twitter - https://twitter.com/tanginaly  
> > tumblr - http://tanginaly.tumblr.com/
> 
> Don't forget to comment your thoughts! I read and appreciate each and every one of them. ;; v ;;


	5. to wrestling matches and memory gaps

Nyma didn’t understand it.

The bell rang incessantly in her ears as she hit the floor. She could hear the crowd going practically losing their shit, cheering and booing wildly at the sides. She pushed herself up and glared hard at her opponent as she rubbed her nose, smearing the blood across her face. Violet eyes glared back as they watched her stagger to get on her feet.

The referee stood between them, commanding them with a stern glare to stand down and return to their posts.

She wrinkled her nose and snarled. Flicking her tongue, she collected the blood that pooled inside her mouth and spat it to the side. She threw the boy one last look before she obliged and returned to her side where a worried Allura waited with a clean towel in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

She didn’t understand it at all.

The Red Lion they called him. He wasn’t even that impressive. He was tiny, significantly shorter than her. He was lean and well-built but skinny– skinny, but he had the strength of a beast. He stood at five foot seven and had the most impressive reflexes Nyma had ever had the pleasure of seeing in this club.

His real name: Keith Kogane.

Rolo had told her to keep a close eye on him. He said that Keith might possess _special_ _abilities_ , and that it was her job to find out what it is and to end the match before he starts using it.

But the first period had come and gone and in those three minutes, she had learned absolutely nothing. She had been throwing him around like a rag doll and the worst part was he just let her.

Nyma felt zero to no resistance from him and if anything, it felt like he had just been watching her this whole time, studying her every move.

Then come second round, the tides had turned. Nyma swore that he had been using her own techniques right back at her. He deflected her attack and quickly returned it. It was like fighting a mirror image of her.

It was very unsettling.

She took a swig from the bottle and gargled before spitting it out at the side of the ring. She threw her girlfriend a sheepish look when she exclaimed her disapproval. Allura took the bottle from her hand and continued to clean her cuts, pulling away every time Nyma winced slightly when she’d hit a tender spot.

Nyma returned her attention to her opponent. She let her gaze wander around his physique, studying him. Her eyes narrowed to slits when she realized one important thing: there was nothing on him.

No cuts, no bruises, nothing.

As if to prove some sort of point, her lips began to sting. She ran her tongue around it, remembering how his punch sliced the skin open.

Here she was, all banged up from the second round and yet she was pretty sure she did him harder in the first round. She was pretty sure she had even socked him in the eye socket at one point. Yet there he was, as clean and fresh as a baby’s bum.

Regenerative powers, maybe? The idea made sense but it still felt like she didn’t quite hit it just yet, that she was still missing something.

If she was being honest, she didn’t know if she could win this. It was difficult to fight someone who could heal themselves at will and waiting for Keith to exhaust himself was out of the question. She really didn’t know if she could defeat him without killing him.

Her frown deepened. Maybe…

Nyma snapped out of her reverie when she felt a tap on her hip. She turned her head to find Allura looking at her with a troubled look etched on her face.

 _Are_ _you okay?_ Her eyes had seemed to ask.

And just like that, her head cleared. Nyma’s expression softened and she felt a smile curling up her lips as she cradled Allura’s face in her hands. She pressed her forehead against hers, allowing herself to relax into the touch.

At that moment, nothing mattered. Not her responsibilities, not Rolo and definitely not Keith.

Just her and Allura.

“That’s not fair.” Nyma pulled away and stared at her quizzically.

“What’s not fair?” She asked. She held back a giggle when Allura whined as she rubbed her cheek against the palm of her hand.

“I’m supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around.” Allura protested with a pout.

Nyma couldn’t help but laugh at that. She put her hand to the back of Allura’s head and pulled her closer, pressing her lips against her forehead.

“You already did.” She whispered.

Then it hit her.

She turned towards Keith’s direction, her eyes widening in dawning realization. His powers, his abilities, she knew. She doesn’t have a full grasp on it yet but if she was right… well, there’s not time better than now to test that theory.

Right on cue, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the third round. The noise of the crowd resurfaced in her ears and brought her back to present. With a smile, she pressed another kiss against Allura’s forehead before she got up.

As the Round Girl strutted around the ring, Nyma made the decisive choice to take her boxing gloves off.  She refused to meet Allura’s confused stares and chose to meet Keith’s instead, smirking arrogantly while she watched his eyes follow the gloves as threw them to the side. The audience cheered loudly in approval at the action.

Nyma felt refreshed and re-energized, her blood pumped with fresh vigor. She threw her shoulders back and titled her head from side to side, a sense of satisfaction flooding her body when she felt her joints pop.

She hadn’t been this excited in a long time.

When the Round Girl left the stage, she met Keith at the center of the ring. She didn’t bother to get into her old stance. Instead, she jutted one leg out and raised her hands in front of her, fingers pointed towards the ceiling.

If Keith was what she thought he was, then he’d have a field day absorbing each and every one of her fighting styles. It’s just too bad that he’ll need more than two minutes to get all that and well, two minutes was more than what she needed to win.

After all, she had a promise to keep.               

 

* * *

 

“Hey, good game up there.”

Keith lifted his eyes to meet his gaze then grunted. He quickly dropped it back to the floor as a low grumble formed in his throat.

“Not good enough.” He muttered under his breath, “And it’s not a game.” He added.

Lance pried himself off the doorframe and crossed the room, taking the empty seat across Keith’s, “It can’t be that bad.”

“If you didn’t get the memo, I lost.” Keith replied with a pointed glare as he continued to dry his hair with his towel. Lance shrugged.

“Well, to be fair,” He started as he thoughtfully tapped his chin with his index finger, “Nyma’s been the reigning champion for like what, three years?”

“You gotta be one hell of a fighter if you think you could beat her in one go,” He told him.

“But I could’ve defeated her.” Keith growled, “If I just had more time…”

Lance stared at him sympathetically. The guy really was beating himself up over it.

“If it’s any consolation, you at least got her to take you seriously. I never saw her fight like that before.” He told the boy.

Keith scoffed but a smile finally graced his features, “She fights like a Galran, alright.”

Galran?

“Galran?” Lance asked.

He watched the smile quickly slip off his face and an indescribable look replacing it as his whole body tensed up. Keith shook his head after a moment as his posture relaxed. He then looked up and finally met Lance’s eyes.

“Do I know you?” He asked.

Lance blinked, “Sorry, what?”

Keith shrugged sheepishly as he looked at him apologetically.

“It’s just that you’re acting really familiar with me and well…” He trailed off.

“Dude, it’s me. Lance.” He said. Keith’s face didn’t change and his brows were still knitted together.

“We’re floor-mates? I insulted your mullet and called you hot behind your back?” Keith flushed at that but it didn’t deter his confusion.

“Oh, uhh,” Keith started, “Did we share the lift or something?”

Lance groaned, “Oh my God, are you serious?”

Keith hesitantly nodded in reply.

“We had dinner together?” He tried to offer, “You know, with my roommates? We even met your brother, don’t you remember?”

Keith’s frown deepened as he desperately tried to remember. Lance stared at him, just as desperate for him to at least recall something but with the way frustration and confusion rolled off Keith like a second skin, he was exasperated.

“Oh, come on, you can’t forget!” He exclaimed.

Keith finally shrugged defeatedly and mumbled, “Sorry.”

Lance felt ridiculous. He couldn’t believe it. All this time spent hung up on this one guy and he doesn’t even remember him.

But it just didn’t make sense. It didn’t make sense _at all_ because every time they crossed paths in the last few days, Keith couldn’t look at him in the eye. Lance even reveled in the embarrassment he exuded.

Keith knew who he was until suddenly, he didn’t.

And from what he could tell, he wasn’t lying. Lance watched in silence as Keith began to pack his things into his red tote bag.

“Is it like a condition or something? Do you have short-term memory loss?” He asked him. Keith shrugged.

“I don’t know, haven’t exactly visited a doctor.” He answered.

Lance frowned. He was lying. However, Lance didn’t know him that well to confront him about it. Besides, the guy is inclined to his own secrets just like he was. He stared at his hands, clenching and unclenching them into fists. He sighed.

He looked up and watched him dig for his phone in the bag’s pockets, noting how the light from the screen accentuated his features a little too nicely when he held it in his hands. He also noticed how panic washed over Keith’s face as he glared at his phone.

“Shit.” He mumbled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shiro left thirteen missed calls.” Keith replied as he raised his hand to press the phone against his ear.

“What did he want?” He asked him but Keith only raised a finger at him, promptly shutting him up.

“Hey, sorry for missing your calls, I was uhh… out.” He finished lamely. Lance raised a brow at him and Keith only gestured at him to stay quiet.

“Yeah, yeah I’m home now.” Lance snorted which earned him a pointed glare.

“Oh, Lance?” He perked up at that, “What about him?”

“I’m with him right now actually. Yeah.” Lance shifted closer, practically sitting on the edge of his seat as he tried to listen in to the conversation. Despite his best efforts, however, Shiro’s voice was intelligible and came as a static-y mess.

“Hunk? Who’s Hunk?”

Keith stared at him, wordlessly asking for help. He mouthed ‘roommate’ back at him. Keith’s eyes widened in understanding and promptly took back what he said.

 “Wait, nevermind. Yeah, I remember.” Lance bit back a snort. Keith definitely did not remember.

If Lance was being very honest, Keith’s memory gaps worried him. It was one thing to forget about him but Keith literally spent that entire day with Hunk, and for him not to remember him…

 “Where are you anyway? Sounds noisy in there.” Keith asked. His eyes then widened again, his brows practically shooting up behind his bangs.

“You’re in _where_?!” He exclaimed suddenly, making Lance jump in his seat.

“ _Why the fuck_ \- why would he be there?!”

Worry began to bubble in Lance’s chest at his reaction. There was so much he wanted to ask. What happened to Hunk? Where is he? Why was he with Shiro?

Keith suddenly quieted, responding with ‘uh-huh’s and ‘yeah’s every once in a while as Shiro’s static chatter filled the air.

“Do you want me to tell him? Right, of course you do.” Lance couldn’t help watch Keith smack himself and just drag his hand down across his face in amusement.

“Yeah. We can go there.” Keith sighed, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll go with him. Yeah, we’ll be there soon. Bye.”

When Keith put the phone, Lance finally released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He wanted to ask about Hunk but Keith wasn’t talking. Instead, he just packed his things and changed into fresh clothes in silence.

“So,“ Lance started with a drawl, “Shiro doesn’t know you’re here.”

_Dumbass! Ask about Hunk, not that!_

Lance didn’t even have the time to shit on himself mentally because with the way Keith’s brows knotted, he knew he had the said the wrong thing.

“No, he doesn’t. And he shouldn’t. Ever.”

Chills ran down Lance’s spine at the dark look Keith gave him. He didn’t say so explicitly, but the warning in his voice was loud and clear.

He cleared his throat, trying to shift the topic, “What did you say he wanted?”

Keith relaxed, sighing as he threw his bag over his shoulder. Lance felt his hesitation as he said the next words, “He wants us to go to the police station.”

Lance blinked in confusion, “What? Why? What’s he doing there?”

“You know your friend Hunk?” Keith asked. Lance felt a cold dread settling in his gut. He gulped, finding it difficult to breathe all of a sudden. He watched Keith cross the room carefully before replying.

“What about him?” He managed to ask despite the lump growing in his throat. Keith was already halfway out the door when he turned towards him. Keith didn’t even bother to yell over the blaring music but Lance heard him loud and clear.

“He’s been arrested.”

 

* * *

 

Lance blinked, finally coming back to his senses. He shook his head before following Keith out the door.

“Hey, wait!” He called out but to no avail. Keith maneuvered through the crowd with ease, slipping through like a snake while Lance had to consciously avoid bumping into people’s shoulders and elbows or even getting knocked over.

If he could hear him, he had no idea. Keith showed no signs that he did. Instead, he kept walking despite Lance’s calls.

Keith was already by the entrance when he managed to squeeze himself out of the crowd. Before Keith could leave the premise, Lance firmly planted his hand on his shoulder, wheezing pathetically as he tried to catch his breath.

“Where,” He panted, “do you think you’re going?”

“To the police station?” Keith replied though it came more like a question than an answer. He raised a brow at Lance as he watched him collect himself.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Lance asked. Keith just looked even more confused now.

“Grab a cab, catch a bus…” He answered almost immediately, raising his fingers as he listed off the options.

“Do you even have enough money for that?”

Keith shrugged, “Walk?”

“No.” Lance said as he shook his head, “No need for that.”

Keith knitted his brows, his face morphing into something similar to a pout. He cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms, “Well, what do you suggest then?”

Lance paused.

“Follow me.”

And with that, he made his way back to the sea of people.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! I wanted it to be longer but then I wouldn't be able to update on time then ;; v ;; I'm actually having finals right now so I might be late again next week haha;;
> 
> I really appreciate the feedback last chapter! I loved all the reactions I got, especially the profanity that was directed at me 8)) gives me joy lmao. However, my lips remain sealed about Hunk's powers and his current situation ;3c
> 
> I hope you guys liked the little peeks at Keith's abilities! I'm not really trying to hide what it is but then again I haven't explicitly explained what it is either. I wanna know what you guys think though! Maybe leave a comment? :3c
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please don't hesitate to hit me up if you notice any grammar hiccups or typos. I was very... out of it while writing this lmao. Now I gotta go do my plates for real this time. #death


	6. to car rides and confusion

 

Keith watched his back disappear into the crowd before he heaved a sigh and followed him in. He seriously considered just leaving him there and going ahead. After all, it’s not like Lance didn’t know where to go. If it weren’t for the fact that he had already told Shiro he was going with him, he’d have up and left.  

It didn’t take long for him to catch up.

It seemed that Lance was a magnet for trouble. Either he goes out looking for it or it just somehow finds him. Not only did he have difficulty slipping through the crowd on his own, he also just so happened to bump into all the wrong people.

If Keith hadn’t been next to him at that time, the guy he ran into would’ve surely socked him in the jaw. Still, he’d be lying if he didn’t like how the man scrambled to make way for them, eyes wide with fear when realization dawned him.

(“This is so cool! It’s like having my own personal bodyguard!” Lance exclaimed in excitement. Keith resisted the urge to finish what the other guy had started and punch Lance himself.)

“Where are we even going?” Keith asked as he dodged a flying elbow which eventually found its way on Lance’s face.

“Hey, watch it!” He yelled after the guy, cradling his jaw in his hand before turning his attention towards Keith, “Sorry, what was that?”

Keith rolled his eyes and repeated his question, “I said, where are we going?”

“Oh. We’re going to Nyma’s locker room.” He said as he waved him off dismissively, “She has like, a private one or something. It comes with being the reigning champion for three years straight. Also, she’s really good friends with Rolo– I’m sure you’ve met Rolo, right?"

Keith nodded, faintly recalling the scruffy but well-built man shaking his hand as he ‘welcomed him to the family’. His gut screamed that the guy was Shady Business but well, he’s the one who rolls in the paychecks.

“Ack! Okay, you know what? Take my hand.” Lance finally demanded after he crashed into another redneck’s back, reaching his hand out towards him.

At that, he felt a strange feeling of déjà vu, like this had happened before. Keith bit his lip, staring at it for a moment with his brows furrowed before he tilted his head to the side and cocked a brow at him.

“You want me to hold your hand?” He asked him. Lance blinked at him a couple before glancing at his hand then back to him.

“What? No!” He exclaimed in protest but then quickly backtracked, “Yes– No ! I mean– “ He heaved a long suffering groan. Without waiting for Keith’s permission, he just grabbed him by the wrist and started walking forward.

“Are you sure should be the one leading?” Keith asked.

“You don’t even know the way!”

He rolled his eyes as he let Lance pull him along, “At least, I’m not face planting on every muscled back in the vicinity.”

“Oh, can it, mullet.” Lance bit back. At that, Keith raised his hand and played with bangs self-consciously. What was wrong with his mullet?

He fixed his gaze at the back of Lance’s head and allowed to let his mind wander. Instead, he focused his attention on the bubbling fondness that grew in his chest like a warm pair of tits.

It was strange. Having Lance’s hand wrapped around his bare wrist was strange. It was way too familiar but he just couldn’t remember why.

 _Add that to the list of things that I can’t remember_ , he thought sourly.

However, there was just something nice about having Lance hold him. He really couldn’t put his finger as to why but Lance… Lance made him feel safe. He didn’t know what it was but something in him compelled him to trust the guy.

It wasn’t just that too. Keith liked to think that he was pretty reserved. Polite when he needed to be, he spoke when he was spoken too, and he basically calculated all of his actions right up to his words. But with Lance, all that was just thrown out the door.

The weirdest part was that it felt completely natural when it did.

“We’re here.” Lance announced, pulling Keith back from his thoughts.

He looked up to see that they had stopped in front of a big metallic door with a sign EMPLOYEES ONLY stuck on it.

“Yeah, took you about fifteen minutes.” He scoffed.

“Here’s a thought, shut your _quiznak._ ”

Keith huffed in amusement, not feeling the least bit threatened. Lance simply rolled his eyes in response.

“Okay, here’s the plan.” Lance started.

“Why do we need a plan?”

“Keith.” He looked at him then shook his head. Keith couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that.

“Keith, my buddy, my fam, my homie, my man.” He continued, “I have no idea if you’ve met a single girl in your entire life – and let me tell you, there are two of them in there.”

Keith rolled his eyes but Lance only kept going, his tone completely serious.

“They’re crazy about boundaries and private space. If you’re outside their friend circle, you’ll not only be neutered but also castrated.”

He snorted in disbelief, “It can’t be that bad.”

“Believe me, I have like, four sisters.” Lance paused, a sad look washing over his face, “ _Had_.”

They both fell silent, letting the blaring music to fill the space between them for a moment. Keith didn’t know what to say. It felt like he was treading on a familiar memory but it was so far off that he couldn’t reach it.

But for some reason he knew. He knew that Lance had four sisters and had two other brothers. He didn’t know why but he did. It was the closest he had to remembering something before the incident. And despite Lance’s choice of tenses, he just knew that they were fine.

He looked down at his feet, refusing to meet his eyes when he said his next words.

“They’ll be okay.” Keith missed the look Lance gave him after that.

He felt him withdraw his hand from his wrist and Keith would never admit it, but he missed the feeling of Lance’s touch on his skin.

Lance cleared his throat, “Right, okay.”

“So the plan.”

“Right, okay so uhh…” Lance trailed off as his brows furrowed in thought, “What we’re going to do is I’m going to head in there while you wait here. When I make sure that everything’s _oks manoks_ , I’ll call for you.”

“You know you could’ve just told me to wait out here, right?” He told him. Lance only shrugged.

“I already made the bodyguard joke, I didn’t want you to think I was serious.”

Keith stopped in his tracks, biting his bottom lip sheepishly, “That’s… surprisingly thoughtful.”

“Why, thank you.”

Lance shot him a wink and some finger guns before he slammed the door open and walked in. Keith didn’t even have time to have his blush form fully on his face when he heard a blood-curling scream erupt from the room.

 

* * *

 

They all sat in the car in silence as Nyma drove, the sweltering tension filling the air both from worry and something else.

Nyma drove like a maniac for the first couple of minutes, breaking numerous traffic rules and speed limits. She only slowed down when Allura told her off while the latter gripped on the sides of the passenger seat for dear life. Keith seemed to like the speed though and was visibly disappointed when Nyma obliged. However, that seemed to cut the travel time by 15 minutes, much to their delight.

Lance kept a 2-feet distance between him and Keith as they sat in the backseat of Nyma’s car.

“So… Keith,” Nyma started with a drawl, thankfully breaking the ice. Keith then lifted his gaze from his lap at the sound of his name and met hers on the rearview mirror.

“How did you meet Lance?” She asked him.

“ _Bes_ , you’re asking the wrong person. Amnesia Boy over here can’t even remember who Hunk is when he literally spent an entire afternoon with him.” He told them while he pointed his thumb towards Keith.

“Oh my, that sounds bad!” Allura gasped as she turned her body to face them, “Have you been to a doctor? It might be dangerous!”

Keith simply shrugged.

“Don’t know one.”

Lance narrowed his eyes at him. He and Allura shared a look and he knew that they were both thinking the same thing: Keith was lying.

“I can introduce you to one!” She told him, “She’s pretty good and not only that–”

“Thank you but no.” Keith interrupted, shooting her down quickly but politely, “We’re kind of pressed for money at the moment.”

This time he wasn’t lying. Lance eyes widened as realization dawned on him that maybe that’s why Keith was playing in underground rings– because he needed the cash.

Now that he thinks about it, Shiro had told them over dinner that he worked as a teacher at an orphanage downtown. And if Lance was being honest, he didn’t think the wage can sustain one person, much more two.

 _I guess it would make sense that Keith doesn’t want him to know_ , he thought to himself.

“So how’d you guys meet? Did Lance harass you on the lift to your floor or something?” Nyma asked as she threw Lance a knowing look, quickly easing the growing tension.

“I did _not_!” Lance exclaimed defensively.

“Who knows, I don’t exactly recall how we met.” Keith mused. Lance threw a glare at Keith who only shrugged and said, “Amnesia Boy, remember?”

“ _Excuse you_ , you were the one who showed up on my doorstep looking for a gaslighter only to have dinner at my place because your brother _torched your kitchen down_.”

“Ah, so that’s why my kitchen looks like that.” Keith muttered under his breath. Lance stared at him as he watched his eyebrows scrunch up in thought.

“You really don’t remember anything, do you?” He asked him. Keith looked up at him and only shrugged in reply.

Suddenly, Lance heaved a loud groan.

"I can't believe I was so hung up on you!” He exclaimed, startling the two girls in front. “And to think I wanted to tap that ass! God damn it."

"I said I was sorry!" Keith practically shrieked as he flushed a deep color of red, sputtering out incoherent excuses.

Nyma glanced up and sent Keith an apologetic look through the rearview mirror.

"Sorry about him, he's gay." She said in which Lance immediately responded with a mock-offended gasp.

"Nyma!" He exclaimed, his voice cracking near the end, "I am _bisexual_ , there’s a difference!"

She clicked her tongue, "Half-gay then."

"Thank you."

“I don’t get why you’re so defensive about it though. Do you have something against being called gay?” Nyma asked, glancing at the rearview mirror every now and then as she drove. Lance fidgeted at the sudden change of mood.

“Can we not talk about this?” He asked, his voice low.

“No, actually, we should.” Nyma said as she pulled up on a stop light, “Do you think the word ‘gay’ is some nasty slur or something? Are you compensating for something there, homie?”

Lance snorted, “Who uses ‘homie’ in this day and age-“

“Just answer the question, Lance.” Keith interrupted.

Silence immediately followed, save for the rumbling of the car’s engines. The tension settled inside the car like a block of dry ice despite the humming of the heater. Nyma and Allura exchanged glances as they stared at the boys from the mirror. Keith was staring right at Lance, asking for an answer while the latter stubbornly kept his gaze outside the window.

Finally, Lance heaved a sigh.

“It’s just me being irrational, okay?” He said, “Besides, I was just joking. You know, same old Lance being a piece of shit so let’s just drop it.”

“Oh, Lance…” Allura shifted her position from the passenger seat and turned to look at him, “You can talk to us about anything, you know that.”

Lance groaned before finally turning to meet their eyes.

“Look, I just don’t like the implications that come with it.” He began, his voice beginning to rise in volume as his gestures got more animated.

“I don’t like how people use it to invalidate my sexuality and force me to choose one, like it’s unimaginable to like both. Like you’re either gay or straight– I mean, what kind of bullshit is that?”

“Lance… we didn’t know you felt that way.” Allura stated while Nyma mumbled an apology.

Lance shrugged, “Like I said, it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid and it’s completely valid.”

“Whatever, my sexuality is the least of our problems.” He stated bitterly as he returned his gaze to the view outside his window, “Pidge won’t leave their room, Hunk’s in a holding cell for some god-awful reason, and Keith here has shitty memory gaps and can’t seem to remember any of us.”

He missed the way Keith flinched in his seat and shied further away from him in embarrassment, but Allura didn’t.

“To be fair, this is our first time meeting Keith so it’s not like he should…” Allura trailed off, catching herself when she saw the look Lance was giving her.

“Right, sorry.” She quickly apologized.

The car got in motion once more when the green light came on. This time, Nyma drove at a slower pace.

“Besides,” Lance continued, “Whenever they find out I’m more inclined to liking guys more than girls, they suddenly think I can’t appreciate a good tit.”

“Wait, sorry, but can we please not talk about tits?” Allura interjected.

“What? Why?” He asked, a little thrown off by the change of subject. Beside him, Keith straightened up as he looked at Allura curiously.

“It’s just the Locker Room incident is still very fresh and I…” She trailed off as she desperately tried to keep her eyes on the dashboard, a wild blush spreading on her cheeks.

“Oh my God.” Lance muttered under his breath, his eyes widening in horror as the memory began to come back.

“Oh my God.” He repeated while shaking his head violently. Allura blushed loudly while Nyma pressed one hand against her lips as she chortled.

“Allura, what the fuck?!” Lance exclaimed, “I finally get that out of my head and you suddenly come and bring it back.” He groaned as he buried his head into his hands.

“I’m sorry!” Allura practically shrieked in a shrill voice, “It’s not like I liked it either!”

Lance let out a long suffering groan while Keith huffed into his hand as an attempt to conceal his amusement.

A pregnant silence ensued. However, it was short-lived.

“Stop thinking about my boobs!” Allura suddenly screamed as her blush deepened into a furious red.

“It was one boob!” Lance yelled right back, his face mirroring the color on hers, “One!”

“I don’t care just stop!”

At this point, Nyma just stopped trying to contain her laughter and just fell apart into a giggling mess. Keith still tried to control his though, but his shaking shoulders gave him away. Lance, on the other hand, was distraught. Amused but distraught.

“Well, stop looking into my head! You’re invading my privacy!” He exclaimed.

“But it’s _my_ boobs!”

“It was _one_ boob!”

“ _Oh my God_.” Nyma managed out as she pulled over. As soon as they were in a safe spot, she just rested her head on the steering wheel and doubled over, tears leaking out her eyes while she guffawed.

Keith, unfortunately, began hacking up into a fit of coughs. Lance jumped when he made a choking noise and quickly moved to his side, leaning him forward while patting his back. His body shook even harder from the suppressed laughter, making his coughs even worse.

“You know what, just… just let it out.” Lance sighed, “Let it all out, homie. You know you want to.”

At that, Keith threw his head back as he roared boisterously with laughter, clutching his stomach while he desperately tried to catch his breath in between guffaws.

“I’m – _hack!–_ so sorry.” He managed to sputter out in between laughter.

“I know, buddy. I know.” Lance just stared at him fondly albeit solemn as he rubbed Keith’s shoulder in comfort (though it seemed more like he was trying to comfort himself).

“I hate all of you.” Allura deadpanned. She then turned to Nyma and pointed an accusatory finger, “Especially you! I can’t believe you’d betray me like this.”

She then began to throw half-hearted punches at the blonde –which Nyma didn’t bother to deflect and just accepted gracefully as she continued cackling– and began whining, “So offended! I can’t believe this! And you call yourself a good girlfriend!”

Nyma only laughed even harder.

Suddenly, Keith lurched forward. He threw his hand over his mouth, clamping it shut as he reached aimlessly for the door handle with the other. The action alarmed Lance and after watching him just _try_ for a few more seconds, he leaned over and opened the door for him.

Keith immediately flew out, staggering on his feet before landing on all fours and just vomiting all over the pavement.

This triggered Nyma to bubble into another wave of laughter. Allura could only watch as Nyma began slamming her fist onto the steering wheel in laughter.

“He laughed… so hard… he puked!” She managed to sputter out. She jumped when the horn blared, was silent for a few seconds only to laugh even harder.

Allura looked over to Lance as stared at him helplessly. Lance could only shrug in reply as if to say, ‘I ain’t getting my hands on that.’

“It’s like looking at another Hunk. A smaller, skinnier, fair-skinned Asian version of him.” He told her.

After a while, Keith re-entered the car, his face sullen with shame as he wiped the excess chunks off with his shirt. Lance stared at him in disgust, eyes wide with horror. He expressed said disgust before he threw his jacket at him, telling him to change out of his shirt, throw it into his tote bag and to put that on instead. Keith obliged after a short exchange of protest.

(“I swear, I am going to kick you out of the car if you don’t take that off.”

“How about I don’t anyway?”

“Keith, I _swear to God_.”

“Okay, okay! Jeez, you’re worse than Shiro.”

“Uhm, you’re welcome???”)

Nyma’s laughter eventually died in her throat when she saw the unamused look on Allura was giving her. She cleared her throat, giggling slightly when she got the car moving again. Allura still had her arms crossed and her jaw clenched but the satisfaction was evident on her face.

They could only hope Hunk could wait a while longer when she threatened to break into another fit of giggles as she drove.

 

* * *

 

When they the precinct, they saw Shiro sitting at the steps. His eyebrows were scrunched together while his elbows rested on his knees and his hands propped underneath his chin.

Keith immediately shot out of the car when they pulled up in front of the building. Lance followed soon after as he watched Shiro look up from his feet to see Keith running up to him.

Shiro’s lips quirked into a smile when their eyes met and Lance simply nodded in greeting in return. Things were still pretty tense between them. Lance doesn’t blame him though, the last time they met, Pidge nearly trashed the entire apartment.

That was the thing though, Shiro knew about it but Keith clearly didn’t. The night ended with Lance mulling over his unasked questions.

“I didn’t know you had a car.” Shiro commented, nodding over to the car in emphasis.

“What? No.” Lance shook his head, “That’s Nyma’s. Speaking of…”

He turned around and gestured at the two women who had yet to leave their car to, as he would say, ‘get the fuck out of there and come here already’.

“Oh, I didn’t know you two brought company.” Lance didn’t miss the way Shiro gave Keith a pointed look despite the smile that sat on his face.

 _I’d sit on that face_ , was one of Lance’s more intrusive thoughts.

Lance, what the fuck.

_Get out of my head, Allura._

They waited as the two left the car and walked over towards them. Allura waved at Shiro as she approached while Nyma only gave him a smile.

“Hey there!“ Allura greeted as soon as they stopped in front of them.

“My name is Allura Falra,” She gestured to herself then to Nyma, “And this is my girlfriend, Nyma Wiliams.”

“Shiro.” He replied with a smile.

“Nice to meet you!” She said as she reached her hand out at him.

Shiro stared at Allura’s outstretched hand dumbly before hesitantly taking it into his metal one. He looked up at her, anticipating her reaction but fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind. To his surprise, she even gave it a gentle squeeze before she let go.

“Is Hunk still inside?” Lance asked Shiro. The latter simply nodded as he heaved a sigh.

“They wouldn’t let me meet him. Something about him being a danger to society.” He told them. Allura raised a brow at that.

“What do you mean?” She asked, “What happened exactly?”

Suddenly, Shiro’s expression shifted.

“At first, they mistook him for another fugitive and tried to arrest him.” He told them, “But things escalated and they arrested him for assaulting a police officer.”

“Assault?!” Allura exclaimed in disbelief, “That can’t be right! Hunk’s not the type to– “

“They shot him.” Shiro interrupted.

The three immediately quieted, an indescribable look washing over their faces.

“The bullets hit him right between his ribs.” He continued as he eyed them carefully.

The mood immediately shifted as silence ensued. Neither of them spoke but it felt like they all knew something he didn’t. Keith shifted his gaze from one face to another, surprised that none of them had asked about his welfare.

It really didn’t make any sense at all because if Hunk was shot, then shouldn’t he be at the hospital? In that case, why was he at the precinct?

However, even after some time, nobody spoke up.

“Is he okay?” He finally asked.

“Completely fine. Not a single mark on his body.” Shiro answered him. Keith’s brows scrunched up even further.

“What? But didn’t he…” He trailed off. He frowned, confused, “I don’t get it.”

“You tell me.” was his reply.

Nobody spoke as tension continued to loom in the group. Shiro stared the trio down while they still refused to meet his eye. Lance and Allura then shared a look before nodding– as if in agreement.

“Nyma, I’m handing the torch to you. We’ll be going inside.” Allura said as they both began to make their way up the steps.

“Wait, what– “ Shiro began, completely caught off-guard, “How do you plan to do that? They wouldn’t even let me meet him!” He called after them. Allura was already halfway through the door when she turned back and gave him a wink.

“I have my ways.” She told him before disappearing completely inside with Lance.

The rest of them stood outside, Shiro’s mouth hanging open as he stared at the swinging doors coming to a close. Keith stared at Nyma, silently urging her to give them some answers.

“So…” Nyma began, “About Hunk…”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c
> 
> WHAHAHAHAHA SORRY FOR ALL THE CLIFFHANGERS LATELY. I promise I'm going to close all (if not most) of that by the next chapter so keep posted. I'm also going to open a companion story to Heathens where I'm going to upload the scenes that I seriously wanted to add but couldn't because it would compromise the flow of the story (sad winky face emoji). So yes, you will find out just what exactly happened in the Locker Room Incident™.
> 
> I'm finally free from finals hell (I only passed like one class but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯) and now that Christmas season is here, I'm (hopefully) going to be a lot less late with my updates lmao so yeah, that's a thing.
> 
> And just in case you're interested, I made a Heathens playlist!  
> Check it out here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cataluna.alyssa/playlist/1lEy48mtITEJzQ8TNBiq4B
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment because I /clenches fist love comments so much... You are also welcome to come scream at me on:  
> > Twitter - https://twitter.com/tanginaly  
> > Tumblr - http://tanginaly.tumblr.com/
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	7. to police stations and taking actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger Warning: Descriptive narration of a panic attack and implications of Domestic Violence.**

_“So…” Nyma began, “About Hunk…”_

_“It’s really not my secret to tell but you’ve already seen what he could do. The least I could do is offer an explanation while they break him out of the precinct.”_

_“Break him out?” Keith asked, surprised, “What are you talking about–?”_

_“Another story for another time.” She interrupted as he waved him off dismissively._

_“So,” She clapped her hands together, “I’m sure you’re familiar with the existence of people with_ special abilities _or_ Evolved Humans _as they would like to call it.”_

_“How did you know we knew about them?” Shiro asked her. Nyma raised an eyebrow at him._

_“You’re brothers, aren’t you?” She asked, looking pointedly towards Keith, “Then you’d know you’re living with one.”_

_None of them spoke as they refused to meet her eye. Nyma smirked and took this a sign to continue._

_“So the thing about Hunk is that… well.” She trailed off while she tried to find the right words._

_“Well?"” Keith urged impatiently._

_“Well,” Nyma shot him a look as she replied, "Hunk’s like you. An Evolved Human.”_

_“And I’m sure you all know what can happen to an Evolved Human when they’re outed.” She added._

 

* * *

 

When Hunk was younger, he learned that you need a man and a woman to procreate. So looking at his two fathers, it really wasn’t that difficult to put two and two together.

So he was adopted, no big deal. Right? More like ‘no, _big deal_ ’.

Don’t get him wrong, he wasn’t too torn up that he wasn’t apparently born out of one of his father’s butthole like always thought he did (and maybe he was a little saddened by the fact that humans are definitely not like seahorses). However, it was a very, _very_ big deal when your ‘physical anomaly’ is impenetrable skin and you’re not so sure who you inherited that trait from.

Never got an open wound in your entire life? You must be very lucky. You’re getting your vaccine shots but the needle snaps in half instead of sliding in? Probably just extremely thick-skinned.

Have a running chainsaw riding up your arm instead of cutting it off like it’s supposed to? Okay, that’s a little weird… Are you sure you’re not just _really_ thick-skinned?

It was never really a problem for him– at least, not most of the time.

It actually saved his life on multiple occasions (and maybe nearly killed him that one time but that’s another story). But when you have two bullets bouncing off your chest in front of two racist cops, then you have a problem.

If he was being really honest, Hunk never thought he’d be lying on his back against bumpy prison cot while he stared at the gray ceiling, wondering how he got himself there.

Sure, this wasn’t the first time he was incarcerated in a room, deemed too dangerous for anyone to approach, but at least the last time had better living conditions.

Hunk sighed as he sat up. He stared at his balled up fist, clenching and unclenching them as he tried to even his breathing. He tried to regain feeling in his limbs but it was difficult. It felt a cold numbness seeping into his veins. His heart hammered hard against his chest as he breathed, desperately convincing himself that he was still himself.

He didn’t expect them to shoot. He didn’t expect to recoil violently when he got shot either. The cops were carrying pistols but he honestly felt like he was shot by shotgun. It was powerful and it actually _hurt_.

Hunk winced when he caught himself breathing too deeply. He clutched his chest, running his fingers down the spot where bullets hit him. On the surface, everything seemed to be okay. No dents, no burns, nothing. However, he felt like he was bruising on the inside. He might have a fractured rib but he really wasn’t so sure.

He’s never experienced this before.

His mind trailed back to the police officer that was currently in critical conditions, the intense guilt settling in his gut once more. After they shot him, they had the audacity to come closer and inspect the situation.

He remembered how he had keeled over, curling up into a fetus as he crossed his arms protectively across his chest. The same officer who had mistaken him for someone else had come over and tried to pry his arms open. He wasn’t thinking then. He wasn’t thinking at all when he swung his arm to push him away.

His senses only returned too late when the guy flew across the parking lot and slammed his back hard against the wall.

Hunk clenched his fist tight, his nails digging into the palm of his hand. It was an act of self-defense, he didn’t mean to hurt the guy. He would never have done it otherwise, especially not on purpose. He’s not what they said he was. He’s not dangerous.

He’s not a monster.

Right?

“Hunk?”

He froze.

Slowly, he turned his head towards the voice, his eyes meeting blue worried ones. Lance stood there behind the metal bars, his hands enclosed in each bar as he watched him in worry. Allura was behind him, standing not too far away, the same look written all over her face.

Hunk gulped as his chest clenched painfully in his throat.

He immediately scrambled to get on his feet whilst ignoring the way his eyes began to sting with tears.

“Lance…” He managed out, though his voice a horse whisper. He enveloped Lance’s hand in his, clutching onto it tightly. He missed the way Lance’s eyes widened then softened before he rubbed his thumb against Hunk’s knuckles.

“Are you okay, buddy?” He asked him softly, reached his other hand inside the cell to rub circles on Hunk’s arm.

“No.” Hunk replied as he shook his head, letting out a shaky breath before he continued.

“I’m scared, Lance.” He confessed, “They think I’m a monster. They- I– the police officer–“

Hunk abruptly stopped as his composure crumbled. He couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face despite clamping his eyes shit. His shoulders shook violently and his knees trembled, threatening to give away. His next words grew more and more incoherent and intelligible as he broke into sobs, the memories of the night coming back to him in powerful waves.

All he could see behind his closed eyelids was the officer sliding down the wall, leaving a trail of blood from the back of his head as his body fell limp over and over again

Why did his mind go blank then? Why didn’t he control his strength? Now, someone might be dead and it was all his fault, his fault, _his fault._

 Lance shushed him quietly, glancing back towards Allura who was frozen in her spot, eyes wide with horror as a pained look painted itself across her face.

“It wasn’t on purpose, I swear!” He suddenly exclaimed, startling Lance.

“I didn’t mean to hurt him! I would never–“ Hunk wailed while Lance continued to rub his arm, hushing him like a mother would to a child.

“I know.” Lance finally said.

“I know you didn’t. It’s not your fault.”

“I’m not like them, I’m not! I’m not a… a…”

Suddenly, a memory flashed and he was back at the parking lot.

The partner officer still had his gun pointed towards him albeit his grip shakier than usual. His face distorted horribly, sweat dribbling down his chin as he shifted his gaze from him to the unconscious officer. Finally, his gaze landed on him and he could see the complete and utter terror in his eyes.

_“Stand down, you–“_

“–Monster _._ ” He choked out, tightening his grip as his breathing becoming more and more erratic.

Then suddenly, Lance shrieked, snapping him out of his reverie. Hunk looked up at him in terror. He watched the way Lance snapped his head back and was pulling on the hand enclosed in Hunk’s fist.

“HUNK, LET GO. LET GO.” He screamed. His face completely distorted.

Hunk revert his gaze towards his own hand that was wrapped tightly around Lance’s. His eyes widened when he noticed how white his knuckles were and how purple Lance’s fingers had gotten.

As if he was burned, he immediately wrenched his own hand away. His eyes widened in horror when he saw how bloody and _misshapen_ Lance’s hand had become. Hunk blinked, hoping that his eyes were just lying to him but it wasn’t. It was all very real.

He crushed Lance’s hand.  

“No.” He breathed.

“No, no, no.” He let go of the metal bar and saw the hand-shaped dents he had made on it.

He began muttering apologies as he pulled away, backing himself into the far corner of the room as the screaming inside his head worsened. He sat down and curled up into a ball as he hugged his knees, rocking back and forth pathetically.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” He cried.

He wasn’t like them. He wasn’t like Lance’s old captors. He wasn’t like the people on the news. He’s not like what the officer said he was. He’s not a monster. He’s not, he’s not, _he’s not._

He’s just Hunk. He just wants to cook Tacos and have fun with his best friends. He just wants to graduate college and become an engineer. He never asked for any of this. He never asked to be special.

“None of us did.” He heard someone say.

The next thing he heard something heavy clank on the floor and the cell door swinging open with a harsh creak. Footsteps soon followed after as someone walked towards him. He curled up even tighter.

Hunk then felt a hand at the back of his head, slowly pulling him forward.

He opened his eyes just a crack and the next thing he knew, Lance’s forehead was pressed against his. Almost immediately, he felt the rush of comfort take over his system.

It felt as if the panic was getting washed away, the belligerent feeling becoming more and more far away. The shaking had slowed to a stop and his breathing finally back to normal. His posture began to relax as he leaned against the wall limply.

After a few more moments of breathing deeply, he felt himself lulling into sleep. He didn’t know how long it took until he finally calmed down. His mind had cleared; void of the violent screaming inside his head that threatened to consumed him.

He watched Lance pull back and turn his head to look at Allura with glazed eyes. She stood by the open door of his cell and by her feet was the fallen lock. She looked at them and nodded her head before she wordlessly left the hall.

Hunk had a lot of questions but his head had gone completely blank. He felt like he was on a weird high, completely calm and just… there.

Lance returned his gaze back to him, an indescribable look on his face.

He didn’t stop him when Lance put his hands on both sides of Hunk’s head, his right hand noticeably shakier than the other. Hunk wanted to comment on it, tell him that he shouldn’t be touching him, that he was a monster but he felt too weak.

Too light.

Too blank.

“Sorry about this, buddy.” Was the last thing he heard Lance say before everything went black.

 

* * *

 

Allura walked a little faster than she usually did, practically sprinting down the hall. As much as she loved Hunk, she needed to get out of there fast.

She struggled to even her breathing as her heart palpitated. She couldn’t tune out Hunk’s panic, it came wave after wave and it really didn’t help that she could see everything he was thinking with powerful imagery. His fears, his panic, his anger, his pain, she felt it all. She _saw_ it all.

And it was times like these when she cursed her own gift.

She heaved a deep breath that she didn’t even realize she was holding as relief flooded over her when she reached the lobby of the precinct. She clutched onto her chest as she panted, beads of sweat running down her face as she gathered herself.

She balled her hands into fists, suppressing the urge to just scream.

Allura didn’t know what she was expecting when she walked in the door. She wasn’t thinking at all when she ‘persuaded’ the officers in charge to allow them see Hunk. She didn’t think he’d look like that at all.

Hair strewn, clothes disheveled and his face distraught… She never wanted to see that again. Ever.

She gasps, blinking back the tears that were starting to form in her eyes. The lights flickered at the gesture but she paid it no mind. Instead, she made a beeline for the seats so that she could take a moment to collect herself.

Her ears still rang from the screaming. She could barely distinguish whose voice it was or if it was from… what happened then or if it came from Hunk’s memories.

Oh God, the memories.

She didn’t want to admit it but it brought back some unpleasant memories of her own. Back to when she wasn’t with Nyma yet, when she was still with _him._

Allura shook her head.

No. She swore she’d never think of him ever again. She swore she would never let her experience then define who she was now.

She forced her eyes open, focusing her gaze on the potted plant that stood in the corner of the room. She observed the color and the details, noted how the room smelled, and how the fabric felt in her hands. She counted the seconds between her breaths and ever so slowly, she returned to her senses. She was better now.

She wasn’t with him anymore. She was in a healthier relationship now. She was with the person she loved now. With the person she knew would never _ever_ hurt her.

Allura sighed as she finally relaxed. However, that was short-lived. As soon as the initial panic had subsided, she was left with nothing but anger and a thirst for vengeance.

She glanced at the officer manning the desk. She had some work to do.

“Hey. I got here as soon as I could.”

Allura jumped, looking up at the owner of the voice in surprise.

“Oh, hey!” She greeted, quickly collecting herself as Pidge strolled in through the entrance, “I wasn’t sure if you were listening to be honest. You weren’t exactly replying.”

“Yeah, it’s kinda hard to ignore your obnoxious voice.” They deadpanned. She rolled her eyes at that, but smiled at the humor in their tone.

“That and Hunk’s in a holding cell. Do you really think I’d just wallow in my room after that?” Pidge asked her.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure. I just really hoped you wouldn’t,” She confessed. They quickly averted their gaze, almost shameful. Allura couldn’t help but soften her eyes at that.

“Speaking of, did you see Shiro on your way in?” She asked.

“Would really prefer it if we don’t talk about this right now,” Pidge sighed as they put their bags down and began setting up right there on the floor. A few passing policeman stared at the scene quizzically as they passed but didn’t quite do anything to stop it.

“How’s Hunk?” They asked.

Allura bit her lip as she glanced back at the hall hesitantly.

“He’s doing… okay. I left him in there with Lance,” She answered, ignoring the way Pidge eyed her. But stubborn as she was, she turned the tides back against Pidge.

“You know you can’t avoid him forever,” She told them.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll burn that bridge when I get there,” They replied with a dismissive wave as they revert their attention back to their set-up.

“You mean cross, right?”

“Did I fucking stutter?”

Allura groaned as she buried her face into her hands, “You’re impossible.”

“Whatever,” They huffed as a smug look settled on their face, “C’mon, let’s trash this place.”

She rolled her eyes as she turned on her heel to approach the officer behind the counter before Pidge could catch the smirk forming on her face.

“Excuse me.” She said as she gently tapped the table, making the man look up from his paperwork.

When he met her gaze, he quickly went into a trance-like state and stared at her as if he were mesmerized. Allura’s eyes glowed white, her pupils disappearing behind the light as she smiled at him.

“Please take me to your captain.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter! And for the fact that it's pretty short too. I thought it would have been a good idea to split this one into two chapters because it was getting incredibly long and I didn't want the scenes to overshadow anything. It's actually a very heavy chapter and though it gets better in the next one, it's still pretty heavy especially since we're entering the part where things finally begin to unravel. But only a little bit. There's still so much history with these people.
> 
> Also, thank you so much for all of the feedback I received in the last chapter! All of your comments really encouraged me trudging on with this story especially now that themes are starting to get darker and more and more difficult to write. Thank you so much for being patient with me and I hope you continue to stay tuned to this story!
> 
> If you have any questions just find me on twitter or tumblr (@tanginaly)! I'll do my best to respond to you there.
> 
> Oh, and belated happy holidays! I hope you had a good one. ;; v ;;


	8. to injuries and lost memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger Warning: Mild Gore and Descriptive Narrative of physical pain.**

Lance was going to be completely honest, he failed First Aid 101. Or rather, he passed First Aid 101 with flying colors but he basically remembers jack of how that went down and had probably deleted everything from his memory as soon as the class was over.

However, Lance liked to think himself a smart and resourceful guy. He simply took off his shirt and wrapped it tightly around his injured hand unceremoniously. So he was spending his Friday night half-naked in a holding cell with a big guy –who is by the way, also his best friend– lying next to him, probably comatose (he’s not, don’t worry). No big deal. He has bigger problems.

Like how said best friend completely crushed his writing hand and Iverson was going to give a long exam this Monday which made up like 40% of his grade.

 _Dean’s Lister ako, bes. Don’t me._ He thought as he pulled on the fabric to tighten the knot with his teeth. He yelped, gripping on to his wrist tightly as the throbbing pain pulsated right up his arm. Beads of sweat rolled down his temples as he gasped desperately for air.

Slowly, he lay down on the floor, gingerly holding his broken hand as he laid his head on Hunk’s stomach.

Okay, so maybe the test was the least of his problems.

Problems like how this incident might have outed their existence as powered beings and they’re at risk of being thrown back into one of Galra’s Rehabilitation facilities which is, uhm, not a fun thing and definitely not something he’d like to go through again. Like at all. Not that he actually remembers much from that time but still. Not fun.

Then there was the issue of hauling Hunk’s unconscious ass out of the police station with one good arm.

Lance thought about it for moment, his fingers tugging restlessly on the loose cloth wrapped around his hand. He thought about going outside to get some help but the nagging thought that they didn’t have that much time made him consider otherwise.

Allura was outside, taking on the whole precinct alone. She may be a powerful telepath but mind wiping and manipulating an entire precinct’s collective memory is not a piece of cake. She doesn’t exactly have it any easier.

He glanced down at his hand as the guilt settled in his gut. He doesn’t get to make excuses either.

With a sigh, he got up. He ignored the intense throbbing pain in his right hand and hooked both of his arms under Hunk’s pits. It was almost comical, the way Lance sweated as he struggled to lift Hunk’s body up.

He wasn’t going to lie, Hunk was _heavy._ Lance’s knees were already wobbling just by carrying the weight of the guy.

He huffed as he began to walk backwards. He put extra care on his right hand so that he doesn’t apply any pressure on it lest he’d drop Hunk like a sack of potatoes (though to be honest, flexing the muscles on his right arm was already a bitch to deal with).

He opened his mouth as he panted, hoping that it would get more air into his lungs when breathing through his nose just wasn’t enough. He ignored the way the sweat dribbled down his chin and rolled down his bare chest as he pulled on Hunk’s weight.

It hurt. It seriously hurt.

His arms were screaming and he could feel the pulsing pain of his hand in his ears. He tried to brush it off but he can’t help but feel a bit faint. But it was fine, just a little more. Just a bit more and they’ll be out in no time.

Soon enough, he was finally at the lobby.

He shivered when the cold air greeted his bare back. The sweat dripped from his hair and he felt as if he had soaked through the back of Hunk’s shirt given by how damp it felt against his skin. He heaved a deep breath before he continued to trudge forward – or well, backwards in this case.

Lance looked around, a little put-off by the lack of uniforms but not really all that surprised. What caught his eye, however, was his formerly M.I.A roommate squatting comfortably in the corner with practically their entire laboratory set up around them.

“Oh, wow. Am I at the flat already?” He joked, catching Pidge’s attention. They looked up from their screen as he continued to tug.

“What the hell happened? Where’s your shirt?” Pidge asked as they took off their headphones, the panic evident in their voice.

Their gaze then focused on his badly-wrapped injury which had been bleeding a dark shade of red. He could see the way their eyes narrowed to slits behind their glasses despite the light glinting against it.

“What happened to your hand?”

Lance made a face before settling with, “I’ll tell ya’ later.”

Pidge only looked at him blankly before sighing. To his horror, they began to get on their feet.

“Wait, no!” Lance exclaimed.

They froze, looking up at Lance with their brows furrowed.

“No?“ Pidge asked him.

“Just don’t. I got this.” He continued as he kept walking. Pidge frowned at him, their eyes constantly shifting from his hand to Hunk’s body.

“But you– “

“Pidge.”

They closed their mouth but cocked a brow at him as if to say ‘well?’. Lance then glanced at their computers and sighed.

“Look, you’re helping Allura by hacking into the force’s database, right? Like you’re trying to erase all of his cyber footprints and junk.” Pidge slowly nodded in reply.

“Well,” He continued, “You just go keep doing that and stuff. What’s important is that we leave no trace that we were even here in the first place.”

Pidge scoffed, “And the police officer in the hospital?“

“They’ll probably think he got into some freak accident or something, I don’t know. That’s Allura’s problem,” He replied. They looked like they wanted to rebut him but Lance continued before they even got the chance to open their mouth.

“Your problem is to wipe us out of their database while mine is to get Hunk on the back of Nyma’s car.”

Pidge paused, their brows scrunched up into a knot.

“But your hand.” They said, their gaze locked on his wrapped limb.

Lance sighed, “That’s my problem.”

They harrumphed and for a second, Lance was worried, but then a sniffling sound followed. He looked at them in surprise as he watched them wipe their arm across their face. Was Pidge…?

A pang of guilt him hard and he could only stare at them as the realization dawned.

“Pidge, you’re not blaming yourself for this, are you?” He asked. Pidge violently shook their head but Lance knew it was just for show.

“Shut up.” They muttered under their breath, hiding their eyes behind their arm as they heaved a shaky breath, “Go look at a plant or something.”

Lance chortled as he obliged, settling his gaze at the potted plant across the room.

Silence fell upon them. There was no other sound save for the humming of the vents and Pidge’s sniffling. Lance’s arms began to feel sore but it didn’t feel right to leave things like this.

He hasn’t seen Pidge in days and… Lance missed them. More than he’d like to admit out loud.

Lance sighed as he crouched down and folded his legs underneath him. He cradled Hunk’s head on his lap and just sat in silence. His arms thanked him for it, the throbbing beginning to dull as he relaxed.

He glanced at Pidge, their overwhelming guilt still washing over him wave after wave.

They were like a sibling to him and it really hurt when they shut them out and locked themself in. He understood that they needed their time and space but honestly? It sucked.

It sucked like hell.

Lance can’t even remember anything from their days in the facility and worse, even before that. He remembers bits and pieces but nothing really solid. He practically lost an entire year of his life because apparently, that was the only way he could keep it.

He deserved to know what was going on too.

But this wasn’t about him. This was about Pidge.

He trailed his fingers along the lines of tiles as Pidge’s sniffles began to quiet down. If he thought about it, it really was kind of funny. There was a half-naked man sitting on the floor with a big unconscious guy laying on his lap while a teenager stuck in the body of a kid cried quietly in the corner because somehow, it was their fault that things escalated into this.

All because they holed up in their room and wouldn’t go outside.

 _Wait a minute._ Lance paused, his brows furrowing slightly. These thoughts weren’t his.

He sighed when the realization dawned on him.

“It’s not your fault you know.” He said.

He then heard a scoff. He turned his head back towards Pidge who had fixed their gaze on their shoes, their nose just as red as the rim of their eyes.

“It’s really not.” He reassured them.

Pidge snorted, unable to suppress the crooked smile that broke across their face.

“Stop trying to act cool. It’s not a good look on you.” They told him, pointed as they wrinkled their nose.

Lance snickered, “Oh, come on! We were having a bonding moment!”

They huffed, rubbing their nose with their index finger as they settled themself back down in their little nest.

“Yeah, yeah.” They waved dismissively, “Get outta here before I change my mind.”

“But I just sat down.”

“Then stand up again.”

“But I’m injured.”

“Not my problem.”

“You wound me, Pidgeotto.” Lance whined dramatically.

“You’re already wounded.” They deadpanned, “Now get out before anyone spots you. Allura’s almost done in there and I still have files to dig for.”

He rolled his eyes though the smirk stayed on his face. He began to lift Hunk up a bit so he could get on his feet and–

Oh.

He can’t move his right arm.

“Something wrong?” He looked up to see Pidge staring at him curiously.

“I… uhh…” Lance trailed off as he tried to move it experimentally. It was difficult, the dull ache with the cold numbness barely allowed him to lift his arm. He pursed his lips and willed himself to at least fold it but a sharp pain shot through him, knocking the air out of his lungs.

He clamped his mouth shut, suppressing what could have been a loud scream.

“Lance?!” He heard Pidge exclaim frantically. Lance just shook his head stubbornly at them, refraining them from coming any closer. He bit on his bottom lip, beads of sweat rolling down his brows as he waited for the excruciating pain to subside.

He gasped, eyes wide open as he gulped down the air. His hand trembled violently, the t-shirt soaked through with red. It only dawned on him then that he was getting his blood everywhere.

Then he jolted as another wave of pain washed over him, stronger this time. He scrambled to get the knot undone and practically ripped away his shirt off his hand as he tossed it to the ground. He clutched on to his wrist, gripping it tightly as if it would help somehow.

He tore his hand away when an overwhelming pain shot up his wrist at the gesture. His face contorted, opening his mouth wide into a silent shriek. But he still felt the need to support it, convinced that it would ease the throbbing somehow. He opted to cradle it instead.

Lance bit on his lip hard, tasting the blood on his tongue while he suppressed the screams that threatened to bubble out.  He could feel his veins popping out of his neck as he gulped the screams down. He whimpered pathetically as tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

It hurts, it hurts, it _hurts, it hurts, IT HURTS, IT HURTS._

The next thing he knew, someone grabbed his left hand and pried it off his right wrist. Then they wrapped that arm around their shoulders while their other hand held him by the right bicep as they lifted him up. He grunted, hurt by the gesture but didn’t dare make a sound.

A tuff of hair was shoved under his nose, suffocating him momentarily as they began to move forward. He opened his eyes weakly only to find himself face to face with his shorter roommate.

“P-Pidge.” He managed out.

“Shut up.” They cut him off, “Shut up, shut up, _shut up_. I swear to God, I’m going to punch you in the face. You and Hunk both.” They promised. Lance laughed softly in reply before wincing at the action.

He stared at their face, his gaze trailing down the tears that glinted against the light.

“Wanted… to make you tacos… n’ churros…” He panted before choking when another wave of pain shot up his arm. He tightened his grip on Pidge’s shirt while they tightened their grip on his arm protectively.

“I said, shut up. Don’t even try to talk, you ass. I hate you so much right now.”

Lance chuckled weakly but obeyed nonetheless. Not because he wanted to, but because he really had no energy to. He felt faint and weak and just getting his legs to move took so much energy. His arm still pulsed painfully and every vein on his body felt like it was echoing back.

 A gust of wind greeted him with a cold caress when they finally got outside. He didn’t know why but it was a lot easier to breathe. The air wasn’t stuffy and thick and though it was a little bit more humid, it felt lighter and a lot easier to breathe in. He struggled to focus his gaze as he absorbed the scenery.

Nyma was leaning against the side of her car, in a deep conversation with Keith and Shiro when she paused to looked up at them. Her eyes widened in horror which prompted the two to turn their heads.

Keith was the first to act. He immediately turned on his heel and sprinted towards them. Shiro quickly followed suit. Before he could really process it, Keith had taken off the jacket he lent him and wrapped it around Lance’s body as he pulled him out of Pidge’s hold.

Pidge looked like they wanted to ask why Keith was wearing Lance’s jacket or why he was shirtless under it but just shook their head instead.

“Hunk’s still in there. He’s unconscious.” They said, looking at Shiro. He only nodded in reply then entered the precinct in haste. Pidge watched Keith get Lance down the steps for a few more seconds before following Shiro inside.

“Oh my God, Lance!” Nyma gasped when she saw the state of his hand. She was waiting for them at the foot of the steps, staring at them with a horrified look in her eyes.

Who could blame her though? Blood was streaming down his arm and dripping to the floor at a rapid rate. There were bits of bones sticking out of his skin and his fingers were bent in ways that it really shouldn’t. His hand basically looked like it was run over by an 18-wheeler truck.

Hell, it _felt_ like it was run over by an 18-wheeler truck.

“Keith, get him to the car. I think I have some fresh bandages and a splint in there somewhere.” He heard Nyma say as soon as they reached the end of the steps, “We need to stabilize his hand and wrist before the injury worsens.”

Lance thinks Keith said something back but his mind could barely make a coherent thought at this point. Keith’s touch was strangely comforting and familiar. He couldn’t put his finger on why but strangely, he felt like it was just right.

He also felt like they had done this before.

“Have we met before?” He found himself asking. Keith looked at him oddly.

“Are you trying to pull a joke on me right now? Because now is the worst time you could– “

“No,” Lance interrupted, hacking up a cough before he could continue, “No, I’m serious.”

“Lance, it’s me. Keith.” He replied. Lance shook his head.

“No, I know who you are but…” Lance trailed off as he scrutinized Keith’s face despite the hazy eyes, “I feel like I’ve met you before.”

Lance stared for a while, his brows knitted together as he tried to think up all the places he could’ve possible met him. One place struck a chord but…

“Did you…” He found himself asking against his better judgment, “Were you at the facility?”

Keith cocked a brow at him, “Facility?”

Then there it was. A flash. A new memory.

Suddenly, he was back at the facility. They were walking in some kind of dimly-lit hall and it felt like they were doing something they shouldn’t be doing.

Keith was still with him, holding him. Only this time, he looked younger. His hair was shorter, his face was rounder and his features less defined. He looked skinny and sickly, and there were cuts and bruises blooming on his face like paraphernalia.

He stared forward as he led him to the end of the hall where a door sat. There was a surge of hope but also, fear.

Keith stopped then turned his head towards him. His eyebrows knotted in worry as his eyes searched his own before he opened his mouth,

“Lance?”

He blinked, and then they were back at the precinct. Keith stared at him with the same intensity from his memory, that same look on his face but also different.

What was different?

Then suddenly, a piercing sound shrieked in his ears as a sharp pain burst through his brain. His head throbbed painfully, the pain pulsating. He felt as if someone pressed a gun against his temple and pulled the trigger.

_Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP._

Lance jerked his head back and screamed.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c
> 
> I know, I know. I promised I wouldn't end this chapter with a cliffhanger but it was really hard not to. Though I did say that this is the chapter when things start to unravel so I wasn't completely lying, right? Also, sorry for the short chapter. I did say that I had to split the this part into two separate chapters because of how shit really went down lmao. 
> 
> Translations:  
>  _Dean's Lister ako, bes. Don't me._ \- "I'm a Dean's Lister." 
> 
> _Bes_ is like the filipino meme equivalent of 'fam' while _don't me_ is more of a grammatical error (also a meme) that we, filipinos, like to poke fun of. It was supposed to be some sort of derivation of any "Don't ______ me" phrases. Or at least, I think that's how it goes. It's kind of hard to translate language-centric memes, to be honest.
> 
> Please tell me what you think down at the comments or scream at me on twitter or tumblr (@tanginaly) and maybe tell me about your theories regarding the backstories? *wink wink* *nudge nudge*
> 
> But seriously, I really do love reading all your comments. They really make my day and it makes all of this all the more worthwhile.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	9. To Hoping and Finally Leaving

Nyma sat across Lance, perching herself on the side walk as he sat at the backseat of the car with the door ajar while she worked on his injuries. She worked in silence, her brows tightly knitted together.

“You okay there, buddy?”

She looked up at Shiro who had reappeared by her side after propping Hunk inside the car. Lance lifted his head to look at him and grimaced at the gesture. An indescribable expression washed over Shiro’s face but Lance quickly reassured him.

“Head’s still pounding but it’s cool. I mean, I’m not dead yet.” He told him with a crooked smile on his lips. Shiro chuckled as his posture relaxed slightly.

“How ‘bout you?” He asked Nyma. She simply looked at him then shrugged in reply.

Steadying Lance’s arm up, Nyma made sure the alignment of his hand to wrist was straight and that his splint was set correctly.

“A total comminuted, displaced hand fracture…” She muttered under her breath as examined the injury, “You might as well had your entire hand ripped off.”

Nyma paused then shook her head before she continued to wrap the bandages around his hand.

“How’s it looking for him?” Shiro asked.

She bit her lip, “It’s… okay, I guess? He might not be able to use this hand ever again but he’s fine.”

“Nyma!” Lance exclaimed in distress.

“Sorry, sorry! We’ll figure something out I promise.”

Shiro hummed thoughtfully, saying nothing. He shifted his gaze to Keith who sat by himself on the steps of the precinct, deep in thought. Nyma thought for a second that Shiro was going to join him, but instead, he seated himself next to her.

“I didn’t think things would escalate to this. I thought it was just going to be a simple rescue mission,” She told him.

“Get Hunk out of Holding, delete some memories and purge all data. That’s it. That was the goddamn plan. Had I known–” Nyma inhaled sharply then released a shaky breath.

“Had I known…” She repeated before trailing off, shaking her head angrily as she hooked the pin on the bandages. Lance flinched and quickly withdrew his hand from her.

“Shit.” She cursed under her breath. She immediately pulled the bandages back and re-hooked the pin, making sure it didn’t dig into his skin this time.

Of course. She figured she’d fuck something up eventually.

_Nyma._

She froze.

Allura?

_Hey, baby._

She stood up and turned towards the door to the precinct.

“Nyma?” She looks down to find Shiro looking up at her with worry written all over his face.

“You okay there?” He asked. She nodded absent-mindedly, her lips still pursed and brows knotted as she fixed her gaze at the precinct door.

She narrowed her eyes when she noticed the doors open slightly. She watched as Pidge slowly slipped out, their eyes focused on something behind the door as they clutched on to handles of their backpack.

They had a worried look on their face and before Nyma could even think about it, she began walking towards the steps. She paused when Allura slipped out of the door and gently closed it behind her.

Nyma frowned.

To anyone else, Allura might have looked fine, if not a little tired. But to her, it was a whole different picture.

Her face looked pale, her eyes were half-lidded and her breathing uneven. She staggered slightly in her step, resting a gentle hand on Pidge’s shoulder as she tried to regain her balance. She was breathing hard through her nose as tiny beads of sweat rolled down her face.

 _You did great handling things out here._ Allura smiled.

She didn’t feel the least bit reassured.

Finally, Nyma regained her composure and started walking to them once more, quickening her pace.

_Don’t._

She stopped in her tracks and looked up at her. Allura’s smile had turned into a frown, her brows slightly scrunched together in disapproval.

_I’m fine, Nyma. Really._

At that moment, Allura racked up a hard cough into her hand. She looked up to meet Nyma’s worried eyes as she thought her next words.

 _Just please…_ She began weakly.

_Go start the car, we have to leave soon._

Nyma didn’t understand why Allura wouldn’t let her go to her– or even talk audibly at that matter. Instead of fighting her however, she just shook her head.

“Emo, Buff Man,” Nyma called out as she made her way back towards the car. Keith raised his eyes from the pavement to frown at her while Shiro stared at her in confusion.

She jerked her head towards the car and simply said, “Get in.”

She didn’t wait to see if the two followed suit and just briskly walked towards the trunk, opened it then headed to the driver’s seat. She glanced at the rearview mirror to see Pidge throw their things as she shoved her keys into the ignition, revving the engine back to life.

Nyma heaved a long breath as she tapped her fingers restlessly on the steering wheel.

She just hopes Allura knows what she’s doing.


	10. Extra

Pidge stood outside, their eyes on Lance who had made himself comfortable on Hunk’s lap. Allura was already seated in the passenger seat, her head leaning against the window as she rested. They shifted their gaze to Shiro and Keith who stood a few feet away just… hovering.

They returned their eyes to Lance who stared back impatiently as held his bandaged hand gingerly.

“So…” Keith began with a drawl, finally asking the question that was in everyone’s heads.

“How are we all going to fit?”

* * *

 

Pidge squirmed in their seat, wedged between Hunk (and Lance) and Keith. Shiro sat by the window with all the leg room while Lance decided to make theirs and Keith’s lap his personal leg rests. Granted he was injured and slightly out of it, he still continued with his barrage of bad jokes.

Had it not been for the laws of this land (and the injuries he sustained), Pidge would have already slaughtered him.

“Lance?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”


End file.
